whoo hoo!! 9 hours of sleep. That is still within range of Jillian's sleeping guidelines. Remember, she said 7-9 hours, more than that can mess up your hormones too!
Morning AM work out with Rodney Yee! Okay, on DVD, not in person. The DVD is called "AM yoga for week" and it has different areas that you can work on each day. Today I decided to do "hip openers" since I have had so many challenges with my hip. Can I just tell you, WOW!! it was a great start to the day and my hip felt way better!!! I got to go run around with a couple of dogs that I was watching overnight, did a job caring for some kids, and then got back to where I was pet sitting. Well, I was tired, but I needed some more activity. I rowed 1500 meters on thier rowing machine and then did "basic workout for dummies" DVD.
As far as food, pretty good again today! I realized that I forgot my 200 crunches, so will need to do them on Sunday!
I am feeling great about my decision to not take the overnight jobs with the twins. Yes, the income would be good, but feeling more in control of my life and my time is more important!
Oh, I just remembered, last night I even went to the gym after my C25K at home, and I did weights! It felt really great to get back in the gym and do that, and I look forward to doing it much more often too!
I am excited that I am still excited about the yoga! Sunday the goal is the AM yoga and whatever other exercise I can get in!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, Marco Borges and 22 Days
I'm not really sure that I understand how I keep up on blogging during the week, and then Friday comes and I get behind on blogging!! UMMM....no, it's not because I'm out partying and having a good time, either! So, here it is, Sunday night and I am just now letting you know about the great couple of days I have had.
So, today started with just 6.5 hours of sleep. I wanted to start the AM yoga workout today, but it just wasn't going to happen for me. I worked and then ran home and picked up a package that got delivered. It was my order of 22 Days nutrition bars that were created by Marcos Borges and they are vegan, soy and gluten free!!! Even though I had my meals all planned for the day, I had to change the plan because I was DYING to try one!! Well, Marco did not disappoint, it was delicious and it kept me full for about 4 hours!!! I had more work in the afternoon, then came home and did C25K: week 2, day 1, a bit more difficult today!! I also did another yoga workout, but it was much more challenging. Not bad, but more challenging.
Now, about Marco and these bars... Earlier this week when I purchased these bars, I got an automatic 2 month(I think) membership to marco's challenge. So, why "22 Days" for the name?? Here's why: It takes 21 days to make or break a habit, with 22 Days you've found the way
. when I signed up on the site, it had me pick one level of challenge, and this is the one I chose:
Eliminate soda, alcohol, and adding sugar or sweeteners to foods. Eliminate all animal products.
There were varying degrees of this challenge, but since I basically am at this level already, it made the most sense to me. I was instructed on the website to pause my challenge until I got the bars, so after trying them a few times and seeing how I do with them, I will start the challenge , probably on Monday.
Now, do you feel like you want to take on this first "main challenge"? How about if you do the entire thing, but just reduce the amount of meat this week? Let me know how it goes!!
My yoga felt so great tonight, again!! Saturday I plan to do AM routine when I get up. Oh, Jeanette's challenge of 200 crunches was done!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
So, today started with just 6.5 hours of sleep. I wanted to start the AM yoga workout today, but it just wasn't going to happen for me. I worked and then ran home and picked up a package that got delivered. It was my order of 22 Days nutrition bars that were created by Marcos Borges and they are vegan, soy and gluten free!!! Even though I had my meals all planned for the day, I had to change the plan because I was DYING to try one!! Well, Marco did not disappoint, it was delicious and it kept me full for about 4 hours!!! I had more work in the afternoon, then came home and did C25K: week 2, day 1, a bit more difficult today!! I also did another yoga workout, but it was much more challenging. Not bad, but more challenging.
Now, about Marco and these bars... Earlier this week when I purchased these bars, I got an automatic 2 month(I think) membership to marco's challenge. So, why "22 Days" for the name?? Here's why: It takes 21 days to make or break a habit, with 22 Days you've found the way
. when I signed up on the site, it had me pick one level of challenge, and this is the one I chose:
Eliminate soda, alcohol, and adding sugar or sweeteners to foods. Eliminate all animal products.
There were varying degrees of this challenge, but since I basically am at this level already, it made the most sense to me. I was instructed on the website to pause my challenge until I got the bars, so after trying them a few times and seeing how I do with them, I will start the challenge , probably on Monday.
Now, do you feel like you want to take on this first "main challenge"? How about if you do the entire thing, but just reduce the amount of meat this week? Let me know how it goes!!
My yoga felt so great tonight, again!! Saturday I plan to do AM routine when I get up. Oh, Jeanette's challenge of 200 crunches was done!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Friday, February 25, 2011
YOGA...yes, yoga
So, food for yesterday went great, and activity was very low at both jobs. The weather here is very wet, and there is even a chance of snow in our area in the next couple of days!! So, getting out with the kids just isn’t really possible. By the time I got home, I was really wanting activity!!
Now, remember how I mentioned Hoss’ blog about comfort from yesterday? Well, the comfort I was struggling with today was to do the Yoga dvd’s that I got. I used to work for an amazing lady, Heidi. She was a yoga instructor and I went to one of her classes and she showed me poses at home and I felt competent and safe around her. She has that calming nature about her that makes you feel good about yourself, especially when you are struggling. I’m not sure if she realizes it, but that’s how it was with me. I just feel better about myself around her, it’s hard that I don’t get to see her very often. Anyway, since then, I have done yoga on the Wii, and I did yoga on the cruise with people that were larger, like me, and I felt okay doing that too. Today what would have been comfortable to me was to go on the treadmill and then do weights. There is nothing wrong with either of those, but I knew that I needed to just do the yoga and get comfortable with all the poses and the names of them too, so I could move forward. Every time I have done yoga, the flexibility hasn’t been and issue, I just haven’t felt comfortable in my own skin or confident in the poses. I always felt amazing after doing yoga, and my muscles feel used for sure, but in a great way! In addition, I just checked out 6 DVD’s at the library and purchased 2, I need to use them!! I hadn’t done any yoga since the cruise. I have not been super good about stretching enough, until I got that book, stretching for dummies that I talked about before..those exercises have been great in the morning, and I hope to read more of the book this weekend! But, I got home, got all of my meals prepared for Friday, set my alarm clock for the morning, did my 200 crunches and got my yoga mat out that Jillian gave all of us on the cruise..begin the DVD….
I started with Rodney Yee’s, but in this one it is with another woman, and she was doing the workout that I chose. Not a big deal at all, just not what I expected. It was a great workout of about 20 minutes. I wanted more, but didn’t know which one to pick from. I decided that starting with the basics, since that’s what bugs me the most that I don’t remember or know how to do the poses correctly. Play…Basic Yoga workout-for dummies… OMG!!! So helpful, so detailed and easy to understand, and soooo relaxed with no pressure!! What was cool is that even people who can’t sit on the floor easily could do this because she showed modifications to do on a chair if you have that challenge. She reminded us to just do what we could of the pose and the more that you do it, the more flexible and able you will be. I was able to do all of the poses, but I could tell that I have lost some of my flexibility because I haven’t been stretching as well as I need to—maybe that explains the hip injury more than anything…ugg!! If you have never done yoga, are curious about it have always wanted to try but not in a group setting, I HIGHLY recommend this. It goes through what is called “the daily dozen”. I’m not sure if that is a universal term, but that is what it is called here. If you can get through these, you will probably feel so wonderful. She talks about strengthening the spine so that as we age we don’t hunch over as much, it was an interesting take on it. I did pick up the book too, but think that I will probably stick to the dvd for now since I am best at learning by doing.
I just looked, and if you want a sample of what the DVD is like, you can go to www.youtube.com and search “yoga for dummies” or copy and paste this link: http://healthyfitcare.com/01-basic-yoga-workout-for-dummies-part-1.html . That is part 1, but you can all of the other parts by searching for them there too. Personally, I think getting the DVD at the library is easier if you are trying to practice the poses continuously.
I know that for some of you, it’s hard to even imagine ANY yoga pose, but like she said in the DVD, and I’ve heard many times, yoga is for everyone, any level, any size, or any age. I know, stop thinking it: “but I’m different, I have an injury”, or “I’m old and am not flexible at all” or “that balancing thing, I CAN’T do that”…you want me to keep going? Okay, how about, “but I have never done it before and people will think I’m crazy for trying it” or “I’m too old, seriously, does it even matter?” and last(though I could totally go on) “isn’t yoga for those hippee crazy people?” umm….DUH, no, it’s for you and it doesn’t matter what your “reason”, you are able to do it and I KNOW you can take that step and give it a try! STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES, yes, I’m talking to you..hello, stop avoiding it and give it a try. Heck, just try one pose a day if you want..just try it, you won’t believe how good you will be feeling!!
Okay, I’ll leave you alone, but I really do want you to try it and I would love to hear how it goes for you!
Hope to hear from you soon on this!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Now, remember how I mentioned Hoss’ blog about comfort from yesterday? Well, the comfort I was struggling with today was to do the Yoga dvd’s that I got. I used to work for an amazing lady, Heidi. She was a yoga instructor and I went to one of her classes and she showed me poses at home and I felt competent and safe around her. She has that calming nature about her that makes you feel good about yourself, especially when you are struggling. I’m not sure if she realizes it, but that’s how it was with me. I just feel better about myself around her, it’s hard that I don’t get to see her very often. Anyway, since then, I have done yoga on the Wii, and I did yoga on the cruise with people that were larger, like me, and I felt okay doing that too. Today what would have been comfortable to me was to go on the treadmill and then do weights. There is nothing wrong with either of those, but I knew that I needed to just do the yoga and get comfortable with all the poses and the names of them too, so I could move forward. Every time I have done yoga, the flexibility hasn’t been and issue, I just haven’t felt comfortable in my own skin or confident in the poses. I always felt amazing after doing yoga, and my muscles feel used for sure, but in a great way! In addition, I just checked out 6 DVD’s at the library and purchased 2, I need to use them!! I hadn’t done any yoga since the cruise. I have not been super good about stretching enough, until I got that book, stretching for dummies that I talked about before..those exercises have been great in the morning, and I hope to read more of the book this weekend! But, I got home, got all of my meals prepared for Friday, set my alarm clock for the morning, did my 200 crunches and got my yoga mat out that Jillian gave all of us on the cruise..begin the DVD….
I started with Rodney Yee’s, but in this one it is with another woman, and she was doing the workout that I chose. Not a big deal at all, just not what I expected. It was a great workout of about 20 minutes. I wanted more, but didn’t know which one to pick from. I decided that starting with the basics, since that’s what bugs me the most that I don’t remember or know how to do the poses correctly. Play…Basic Yoga workout-for dummies… OMG!!! So helpful, so detailed and easy to understand, and soooo relaxed with no pressure!! What was cool is that even people who can’t sit on the floor easily could do this because she showed modifications to do on a chair if you have that challenge. She reminded us to just do what we could of the pose and the more that you do it, the more flexible and able you will be. I was able to do all of the poses, but I could tell that I have lost some of my flexibility because I haven’t been stretching as well as I need to—maybe that explains the hip injury more than anything…ugg!! If you have never done yoga, are curious about it have always wanted to try but not in a group setting, I HIGHLY recommend this. It goes through what is called “the daily dozen”. I’m not sure if that is a universal term, but that is what it is called here. If you can get through these, you will probably feel so wonderful. She talks about strengthening the spine so that as we age we don’t hunch over as much, it was an interesting take on it. I did pick up the book too, but think that I will probably stick to the dvd for now since I am best at learning by doing.
I just looked, and if you want a sample of what the DVD is like, you can go to www.youtube.com and search “yoga for dummies” or copy and paste this link: http://healthyfitcare.com/01-basic-yoga-workout-for-dummies-part-1.html . That is part 1, but you can all of the other parts by searching for them there too. Personally, I think getting the DVD at the library is easier if you are trying to practice the poses continuously.
I know that for some of you, it’s hard to even imagine ANY yoga pose, but like she said in the DVD, and I’ve heard many times, yoga is for everyone, any level, any size, or any age. I know, stop thinking it: “but I’m different, I have an injury”, or “I’m old and am not flexible at all” or “that balancing thing, I CAN’T do that”…you want me to keep going? Okay, how about, “but I have never done it before and people will think I’m crazy for trying it” or “I’m too old, seriously, does it even matter?” and last(though I could totally go on) “isn’t yoga for those hippee crazy people?” umm….DUH, no, it’s for you and it doesn’t matter what your “reason”, you are able to do it and I KNOW you can take that step and give it a try! STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES, yes, I’m talking to you..hello, stop avoiding it and give it a try. Heck, just try one pose a day if you want..just try it, you won’t believe how good you will be feeling!!
Okay, I’ll leave you alone, but I really do want you to try it and I would love to hear how it goes for you!
Hope to hear from you soon on this!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
stabilized eating and increased exercise, C25K: week 1 day 3
Hi all! sorry for the delay, but when i tried to post yesterday, I kept getting interrupted and never was able to get the information up. so, have you been moving? watching your meals? Seems like in this cold weather, we all want to stay bundled up, watching tv/movies, eating "comfort food". Trust me, I get it, but after yesterday(Tuesday) and the major eating, it was great to be out of that feeding frenzie!! Hoss just blogged about comfort, I urge you all to check it out, I couldn't agree more with his comments!! I'm sure you all know the blog address by now, but if not, here it is: https://newhosscity.wordpress.com/
Feeling much better on Wednesday compared to Tuesday!! Food was not an issue at all, and I was even able to go to 2 jobs and work out without feeling totally dead!!
I got up feeling better after a great sleep! I packed up food, different types of food, none that involved cooking :) I didn't have those crazy cravings, but needed to eat about every 3 hours. I headed home and stopped to get some yoga DVD's. I looked at the library but unfortunately, they didn't have the ones that I wanted, so I stopped at Target. Allison recommended Rodney Yee, so that is what I got. I actually found a beginner one and one that is just AM workouts, so I got both for $24.00! when I got home, i really wanted to be able to run on the treadmill and since I knew that I needed to do C25K, week1, day 3, i chose that over the yoga tonight. it was harder tonight, but while I was running I remembered that I had eaten less than an hour before. It is rare that I exercise that close to eating because of something that I learned on the cruise. I think it was from Jeanette Jenkins, though it might have been Marco Borges. Either way, here's the idea about eating and exercise...when you eat your stomach needs all of your energy and if memory serves, a large amount of blood also so trying to exercise during that time is really a bad idea because you can’t get maximum use of your body. That’s where the old warning of “don’t swim for an hour after eating” came from. **all of you cruise buddies, help me out on this one, who said it, and did I get the details correct? It might not affect everyone the same way, but that is for sure how I am affected. Even though I was tired, I did it. I am walking at 3.6 and running at 4.6. I notice that my stride is better since learning more about running when I watched the story about Steve Prefontaine, some good tips for sure. Oh, I almost forgot, Jeannette Jenkins tweeted to get those 200 crunches in before bed…so, I did 200 crunches too! I remember when I was doing 400, and these 200 were tough! It will all come back soon..muscle memory is great!
I look in the mirror and don’t see any major improvements. Maybe it’s because I lost 50 and gained some back. Maybe it’s because my muscles atrophied when I was not doing as much activity or maybe a combination of all of those things. All I know is that these thighs and this belly seem to have more jiggle than I remember..sorry for the visual. I am going to do 200 crunches each night, when I was doing that and push-ups every day, I noticed more tone and felt better about things. I’m a “charts” person, so this weekend, a new chart goes up to track it. I won’t increase the amount of crunches each week like I was before, but once these get fairly easy and my abs aren’t killing me, then I will increase. Next week, I will add the push-ups back in. Remember the “plan, do, check, adjust”? well, I’m checking my current results with the ones that I had in the past, and in the past, these two things helped to get the results that I desired, so, I am adjusting my routine and adding them back in to my daily activity.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Feeling much better on Wednesday compared to Tuesday!! Food was not an issue at all, and I was even able to go to 2 jobs and work out without feeling totally dead!!
I got up feeling better after a great sleep! I packed up food, different types of food, none that involved cooking :) I didn't have those crazy cravings, but needed to eat about every 3 hours. I headed home and stopped to get some yoga DVD's. I looked at the library but unfortunately, they didn't have the ones that I wanted, so I stopped at Target. Allison recommended Rodney Yee, so that is what I got. I actually found a beginner one and one that is just AM workouts, so I got both for $24.00! when I got home, i really wanted to be able to run on the treadmill and since I knew that I needed to do C25K, week1, day 3, i chose that over the yoga tonight. it was harder tonight, but while I was running I remembered that I had eaten less than an hour before. It is rare that I exercise that close to eating because of something that I learned on the cruise. I think it was from Jeanette Jenkins, though it might have been Marco Borges. Either way, here's the idea about eating and exercise...when you eat your stomach needs all of your energy and if memory serves, a large amount of blood also so trying to exercise during that time is really a bad idea because you can’t get maximum use of your body. That’s where the old warning of “don’t swim for an hour after eating” came from. **all of you cruise buddies, help me out on this one, who said it, and did I get the details correct? It might not affect everyone the same way, but that is for sure how I am affected. Even though I was tired, I did it. I am walking at 3.6 and running at 4.6. I notice that my stride is better since learning more about running when I watched the story about Steve Prefontaine, some good tips for sure. Oh, I almost forgot, Jeannette Jenkins tweeted to get those 200 crunches in before bed…so, I did 200 crunches too! I remember when I was doing 400, and these 200 were tough! It will all come back soon..muscle memory is great!
I look in the mirror and don’t see any major improvements. Maybe it’s because I lost 50 and gained some back. Maybe it’s because my muscles atrophied when I was not doing as much activity or maybe a combination of all of those things. All I know is that these thighs and this belly seem to have more jiggle than I remember..sorry for the visual. I am going to do 200 crunches each night, when I was doing that and push-ups every day, I noticed more tone and felt better about things. I’m a “charts” person, so this weekend, a new chart goes up to track it. I won’t increase the amount of crunches each week like I was before, but once these get fairly easy and my abs aren’t killing me, then I will increase. Next week, I will add the push-ups back in. Remember the “plan, do, check, adjust”? well, I’m checking my current results with the ones that I had in the past, and in the past, these two things helped to get the results that I desired, so, I am adjusting my routine and adding them back in to my daily activity.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Thursday, February 24, 2011
I'M STARVING!!..dang hormones...
Okay, obviously, I'm not really starving, but it got your attention, right? So I just have to say it, as a female, we have certain disadvantages a few days a month compared to men. NO, I'm not using it as an excuse at all, I'm just trying to point something out, so you'll understand my day a little more. Guys, don't stop reading, it might give you some insight on how to help those around you :) Hope you can handle it..just kidding!
Hormones are a funny thing...male and female, but this day, it was crazy!! I was hungry, I mean a growling, discomfort in my stomach within 1-2 hours of eating, all day!! I feel like I ate more today than any human needs to eat. I did eat more calories than normal for sure. It wasn't like I was eating junk all day, but some wasn't ideal. I was craving things with calcium(which to me, means that I am deficient in calcium and need to be supplementing, probably). I was ravenous, it was astounding to me, and I hadn't even exercised or done a ton. I wasn't bored or over tired or binging or anything like that, it was honest to goodness insane in my brain. I felt like I just couldn't eat enough.
So, I decided to do some looking online to see if other people experience this too. (are you proud of me for researching, Ellen?) Guess what?? I am not alone on this issue, and it seems that it does just point to changes in hormones! Most of us know that many women crave chocolate during this time, or just sweets in general. I tend to crave spinach and brocolli, i assume because of the iron in them.
one blogger said:
I do plan to eat more, but I eat things that also help with PMS, cramping, all that kind of stuff, so things like avocados, papayas, pineapple, bananas, flax oil, all have great components that help with irritiability, cramping, all the ickyness that goes along with our monthly 'gift'.
Answers.com says:
Yes. It takes about 200 to 300 calories for a woman's body to menstruate.
also from answers.com, a little more detail:
According to a study I recently read, women tend to burn slightly more calories 7 to 10 days prior to the 1st day they begin to menstruate. Their basal metabolism is slightly higher at that point. However, your basal metabolism on the first day of the period falls. Near the end of the period, the woman's BMR (basal metabolic rate) returns to normal. This of course may vary depending upon a woman's physical activity level.
Based on this data, if women consumed an additional 200 calories in the week prior to the initial day of menstruation, they would not gain weight. However, keep in mind that other symptoms of menstruation may include bloating (water weight gain).
Conversely, if a woman decided to lose weight, the week prior to the first day of menstruation would enable her to maximize her potential to lose weight by exercising and thus raising the BMR even more.
Note: Some articles suggest that a woman burns approximately 200 calories more per day the week prior to the 1st day of menstruation. Remember, each individual is different. Therefore it is only through one's personal experience that one can determine whether this is true.
Here are a couple of links you can cut and paste to help combat this issue:
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/08/01/09/six-foods-that-can-help-you-fight-menstrual-stress.htm
this one is great!!:
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/food-and-menstrual-cramps-1375.html
okay, so that was a lesson for me today, and I plan to do even more research to make sure that I am better prepared next month!
Hope you're all still with me...
I know that excercise generally makes me less hungry, but I didn't have the energy to do anything at all when I got home except eat, take a bath and go to sleep early. Not a very eventful day, but hopefully we all learned something...even you guys!!
One little quote:
Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
..................................... Confucius
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Hormones are a funny thing...male and female, but this day, it was crazy!! I was hungry, I mean a growling, discomfort in my stomach within 1-2 hours of eating, all day!! I feel like I ate more today than any human needs to eat. I did eat more calories than normal for sure. It wasn't like I was eating junk all day, but some wasn't ideal. I was craving things with calcium(which to me, means that I am deficient in calcium and need to be supplementing, probably). I was ravenous, it was astounding to me, and I hadn't even exercised or done a ton. I wasn't bored or over tired or binging or anything like that, it was honest to goodness insane in my brain. I felt like I just couldn't eat enough.
So, I decided to do some looking online to see if other people experience this too. (are you proud of me for researching, Ellen?) Guess what?? I am not alone on this issue, and it seems that it does just point to changes in hormones! Most of us know that many women crave chocolate during this time, or just sweets in general. I tend to crave spinach and brocolli, i assume because of the iron in them.
one blogger said:
I do plan to eat more, but I eat things that also help with PMS, cramping, all that kind of stuff, so things like avocados, papayas, pineapple, bananas, flax oil, all have great components that help with irritiability, cramping, all the ickyness that goes along with our monthly 'gift'.
Answers.com says:
Yes. It takes about 200 to 300 calories for a woman's body to menstruate.
also from answers.com, a little more detail:
According to a study I recently read, women tend to burn slightly more calories 7 to 10 days prior to the 1st day they begin to menstruate. Their basal metabolism is slightly higher at that point. However, your basal metabolism on the first day of the period falls. Near the end of the period, the woman's BMR (basal metabolic rate) returns to normal. This of course may vary depending upon a woman's physical activity level.
Based on this data, if women consumed an additional 200 calories in the week prior to the initial day of menstruation, they would not gain weight. However, keep in mind that other symptoms of menstruation may include bloating (water weight gain).
Conversely, if a woman decided to lose weight, the week prior to the first day of menstruation would enable her to maximize her potential to lose weight by exercising and thus raising the BMR even more.
Note: Some articles suggest that a woman burns approximately 200 calories more per day the week prior to the 1st day of menstruation. Remember, each individual is different. Therefore it is only through one's personal experience that one can determine whether this is true.
Here are a couple of links you can cut and paste to help combat this issue:
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/08/01/09/six-foods-that-can-help-you-fight-menstrual-stress.htm
this one is great!!:
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/food-and-menstrual-cramps-1375.html
okay, so that was a lesson for me today, and I plan to do even more research to make sure that I am better prepared next month!
Hope you're all still with me...
I know that excercise generally makes me less hungry, but I didn't have the energy to do anything at all when I got home except eat, take a bath and go to sleep early. Not a very eventful day, but hopefully we all learned something...even you guys!!
One little quote:
Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
..................................... Confucius
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Weigh-in #33
I am so happy to report that even though my food wasn't perfect and I didn't exercise as much as I wanted, I moved 3 pounds closer to my goal today!! I am so happy to report that even though my food wasn't perfect and I didn't exercise as much as I wanted, I moved 3 pounds closer to my goal today!!
I got about 7 hours of sleep, got up and ate a small breakfast. I had purchased some So Delicious brand coconut milk and a yogurt. Let me just explain about me and yogurt. I do not like it at all. Not thrilled with the texture, but mostly it is that tangy, sour taste that makes it just awful to me. Everyone says "oh, try this one, it's better." Okay, I have tried almost every yogurt on the market, some before the gluten free issue and some after, and they all have that taste that I do not like. However, I have never tried So Delicious coconut milk yogurt. Well, I thought, what the heck. It doesn't have the protien, but it has other nutrients, and would be a good snack. So, at breakfast, I opened it, splashed a bunch on my shirt, uggg, and then tried it. Trying something new is a challenge for me too, so this was a pretty cool moment to me. Well, it didn't have that same tangy, sour taste. I can't say that I loved it, but I didn't want to spit it out after putting it in my mouth either!! I put it back in the fridge so that I can keep trying it a little bit each day. Today(Tuesday) I will try it with granola and see how I like it.
Moving on...after that, some people came and picked up a chair that I was getting rid of. That made the apartment look so open, it was great!! I got on a roll with sorting a mountain of paperwork, dropping off donations, folding about 5 loads of laundry, just getting things reorganized, changing sheets, and 3 blog posts(make sure you check them out..especially the one about sugars, great information!) getting all of this done felt amazing!!
With the chair being gone, making the decision about the overnight job and just organizing the apartment...I feel like a weight has been lifted. It has just has put me in an amazing and productive mood!!
I didn't do any physical activity, but the amount of things that I got organized and cleaned up makes up for it!
Special cheers to Hoss...he hit 130 pound loss and broke through his plateau!! Way to go Hoss, I'm so proud to know you and blessed to know you and be inspired by you!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
I got about 7 hours of sleep, got up and ate a small breakfast. I had purchased some So Delicious brand coconut milk and a yogurt. Let me just explain about me and yogurt. I do not like it at all. Not thrilled with the texture, but mostly it is that tangy, sour taste that makes it just awful to me. Everyone says "oh, try this one, it's better." Okay, I have tried almost every yogurt on the market, some before the gluten free issue and some after, and they all have that taste that I do not like. However, I have never tried So Delicious coconut milk yogurt. Well, I thought, what the heck. It doesn't have the protien, but it has other nutrients, and would be a good snack. So, at breakfast, I opened it, splashed a bunch on my shirt, uggg, and then tried it. Trying something new is a challenge for me too, so this was a pretty cool moment to me. Well, it didn't have that same tangy, sour taste. I can't say that I loved it, but I didn't want to spit it out after putting it in my mouth either!! I put it back in the fridge so that I can keep trying it a little bit each day. Today(Tuesday) I will try it with granola and see how I like it.
Moving on...after that, some people came and picked up a chair that I was getting rid of. That made the apartment look so open, it was great!! I got on a roll with sorting a mountain of paperwork, dropping off donations, folding about 5 loads of laundry, just getting things reorganized, changing sheets, and 3 blog posts(make sure you check them out..especially the one about sugars, great information!) getting all of this done felt amazing!!
With the chair being gone, making the decision about the overnight job and just organizing the apartment...I feel like a weight has been lifted. It has just has put me in an amazing and productive mood!!
I didn't do any physical activity, but the amount of things that I got organized and cleaned up makes up for it!
Special cheers to Hoss...he hit 130 pound loss and broke through his plateau!! Way to go Hoss, I'm so proud to know you and blessed to know you and be inspired by you!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Sunday...I get it, I get it, i get it!!!!
Monday night and this is the 3rd post I am doing for past days...what did you think of the one about sugars on Friday? Yesterday's kind of gives you a little info leading up to this post.
So, for Sunday, my walking date was cancelled due to her illness. I am a bit bummed that both Saturday and Sunday were cancelled, but I totally understand why. I could have gone and taken a walk by myself, but like I mentioned yesterday, I am just sluggish. I slept in until I woke up naturally, no alarm. My hours of sleep are all caught up, and I still feel just spent.
I picked up my mom and headed out to go and check on some pets, then we ran a few errands. We had a great talk! I talked things that I have mentioned before, and some that I haven't. I just feel even more out of balance than I usually do. I talked about having only 2 speeds-slow and fast. I generally don't have a middle speed. It's always been a struggle for me to relax. So, I just go full speed or I do nothing..like I said, no middle speed. I am working on that, but I really felt it a lot this weekend. Well, I came to a decision: I can no longer do the overnight job if I am working my regular morning job. I know before I said "well, if I don't have back to back to back jobs, I can do it. Physically, I can, but it's not healthy for me and not good for my long term health goals.
I sent an email to the family and so they won't be calling me for overnights. If I have a break from my regular schedule, then I may contact them and pick up some hours, but at this point, not planning on anything like that. It looks like I get it, I get it, I get it!!!
So, after I made that decision, I had a new found energy! I got home and started on a cleaning frenzy! The kitchen and the bathroom got done and the laundry got all washed! My energy level was sooo up and I was feeling great! I am getting rid of a big oversized chair, and someone is coming to pick it up in the morning. It is going to be great to have a the extra space!!
I am really starting to understand my eating times and what is best for my body as far as sleep goes, it's great to really be understanding this!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
So, for Sunday, my walking date was cancelled due to her illness. I am a bit bummed that both Saturday and Sunday were cancelled, but I totally understand why. I could have gone and taken a walk by myself, but like I mentioned yesterday, I am just sluggish. I slept in until I woke up naturally, no alarm. My hours of sleep are all caught up, and I still feel just spent.
I picked up my mom and headed out to go and check on some pets, then we ran a few errands. We had a great talk! I talked things that I have mentioned before, and some that I haven't. I just feel even more out of balance than I usually do. I talked about having only 2 speeds-slow and fast. I generally don't have a middle speed. It's always been a struggle for me to relax. So, I just go full speed or I do nothing..like I said, no middle speed. I am working on that, but I really felt it a lot this weekend. Well, I came to a decision: I can no longer do the overnight job if I am working my regular morning job. I know before I said "well, if I don't have back to back to back jobs, I can do it. Physically, I can, but it's not healthy for me and not good for my long term health goals.
I sent an email to the family and so they won't be calling me for overnights. If I have a break from my regular schedule, then I may contact them and pick up some hours, but at this point, not planning on anything like that. It looks like I get it, I get it, I get it!!!
So, after I made that decision, I had a new found energy! I got home and started on a cleaning frenzy! The kitchen and the bathroom got done and the laundry got all washed! My energy level was sooo up and I was feeling great! I am getting rid of a big oversized chair, and someone is coming to pick it up in the morning. It is going to be great to have a the extra space!!
I am really starting to understand my eating times and what is best for my body as far as sleep goes, it's great to really be understanding this!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sluggish but Successful Saturday C25K week 1, day 2
It is Monday night and I have posted for Friday and now Saturday's. I hope you read yesterday's blog about sugar, some interesting information for me, I hope it is for you too!!
Well, I ended the overnight job at 7am and the weather outside was about 40, I think...so incredibly cold(okay, for California standards). I turned onto the freeway and saw the most amazing thing, all of the mountains were covered in snow! I was trying to formulate a game plan for the day and really wanted to get a work out in, but knew that I needed sleep. I got home and ate a little breakfast, read a little and then headed to bed. I had planned to walk with a friend, but it got cancelled. The unfortunate thing was that I had no energy to do much of anything, not even a walk. I kept wanting to work out, and my body was just so fatigued. I only slept about 5 or 6 hours, but wanted to be back on track for sleep tonight. So, I got up and had some lunch. Then, I did it, C25k: week 1, day 2!! All of the run time was done at 4.6! Before when I had done my running, I was only at 4.5, so I decided to start at 4.6. My hip was feeling okay and I was feeling so happy that I did it, even though I was mentally tired. I had a job for about 6 hours, got home and did very little.
I am feeling that I just can't do this overnight job when I am working other jobs. Even when I get the hours of sleep in, I feel fatigued and have no desire to do anything. It's like my body can't adjust to the schedule. I don't feel healthy at all, it stinks.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Well, I ended the overnight job at 7am and the weather outside was about 40, I think...so incredibly cold(okay, for California standards). I turned onto the freeway and saw the most amazing thing, all of the mountains were covered in snow! I was trying to formulate a game plan for the day and really wanted to get a work out in, but knew that I needed sleep. I got home and ate a little breakfast, read a little and then headed to bed. I had planned to walk with a friend, but it got cancelled. The unfortunate thing was that I had no energy to do much of anything, not even a walk. I kept wanting to work out, and my body was just so fatigued. I only slept about 5 or 6 hours, but wanted to be back on track for sleep tonight. So, I got up and had some lunch. Then, I did it, C25k: week 1, day 2!! All of the run time was done at 4.6! Before when I had done my running, I was only at 4.5, so I decided to start at 4.6. My hip was feeling okay and I was feeling so happy that I did it, even though I was mentally tired. I had a job for about 6 hours, got home and did very little.
I am feeling that I just can't do this overnight job when I am working other jobs. Even when I get the hours of sleep in, I feel fatigued and have no desire to do anything. It's like my body can't adjust to the schedule. I don't feel healthy at all, it stinks.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
the low down on all-natural sweeteners ...and Jillian's thoughts on sugar
It is Monday night, and the whole weekend has been really strange.
On Friday, I got off of work at 6:30am and headed to a job that lasted until 2:30pm. I had a couple of things to do, and I got a gluten free pizza at Amici's restaurant and headed home. I showered and was in bed by 4pm and I slept until about 11pm, it was great!!! I grabbed a bite to eat and headed to watch the twins.
Not a very exciting day, huh? NO physical activity except up to 2:30pm. Since it was not such an exciting day, I thought I would give you the low down on sugar that I just learned.
THE LOW DOWN ON SUGAR
I got this information from a magazine called Living Without. It is a great magazine for anyone that has dietary restrictions of any type! So, I'll just give you a little about each one, but for complete list of pros/cons, "best for", "need to know" and ones to try, please check out LIVING WITHOUT Magazine
All-natural sweeteners are flavorful and better for you than sugar
HONEY
There are more than 300 varieties in the US, ranging from light and floral to dark and assertive, depending on the bees' nectar source.
Pros: high in antioxidants and helps to soothe irritated tissues.
Cons: high glycemic index , slightly more calories than sugar.
MAPLE SYRUP
Boiled-down ambrosia from the sap of the maple tree.
**this is REAL maple syrup, not a faux syrup made with processed sweeteners and flavoring
Pros: a cocktail of 20 different disease-thwarting antioxidant compounds, including phenolics similar to those found in berries. contains fewer calories than honey and table sugar.
Cons: has a high concentration of fast digesting sugars, and too much can send your blood sugar on a roller-coaster.
MOLASSES
a concentrated by-product of the process that turns sugar cane into refined granulated white sugar.Not as sweet as white sugar. Brown sugar is just white sugar with a fleck of molasses.
Pros: It has a greater antioxidant capacity than maple syrup, corn syrup, refined sugar and agave. It also possesses more vital nutrients than other sweeteners. The magnesium plays and essential role in bone hjealth , immunity and blood sugar regulation. **Those who consume the most magnesium in their diets are about half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes over a 20 year period as people who take in the least magnesum.
Cons: The distinctive bittersweet flavor of molasses limits it's use.
AGAVE
It is less viscous than honey, maple syrup and molasses with a meadowish flavor. It contains about the same number of calories as honey.
Pros: about 40% sweetere than sugar, which means you can use less and thus reduce calorie intake. Used in moderation, it can be an option for people concerned about diabetes because it ranks lower on the glycemic index than many other sweeteners and produces less-dramatic spikes in blood sugar after consumption.
Cons: A somewhat empty calorie source. It's high fructose content means it should be enjoyed in moderation only.
PALM SUGAR
..an up an coming sweetener, produced by the harvesters climbing palm trees and collecting the samp from the flower blossoms. Nectar is boiled into thick syrup, then dried and ground to produce a grainy, crumbly sweetener that's not quite as sweet as refined white sugar...sometimes called coconut sugar.
Pros: Low-fructose, and low glycemic index make it beneficial for diabetics or anyone watching their waistline.
cons: Not yet as readily available in stores as other sweeteners adn can be more expensive. ***keep a watchful eye for palm sugars that might be mixed with heavily refined sugars to cut costs.
DATE SUGAR
It is made from dehydrated and ground dates.
Pros: Contains the abundance of fiber, vitamins and minerals, including iron and calcium, found in dried dates. It is one of the most "whole food" sweeteners available.
Cons: It can be tricky to find in stores. Granuals don't readily dissolve in liquid so it's not ideal for sweetening beverages.
STEVIA
Extremely sweet sugar substitute, 200-300 times sweetener than table sugar, is extracted from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, native to Paraguay.
Pros: more natural then alternative to calorie-free sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose. Offers weight-loss benefits and won't mess around with your blood sugar levels.
Cons: some stevia products on the market actually contain more sugar alcohols, added for bulk, than actual stevia extract.
TURBINADO
produced by squeezing the juice from sugar cane and then evaporating it to form crystals that are larger than traditional white sugar. A similar sugar is Sucanat which is a whole cane sugar that contains all cane sugar's nutrient-rich natural molasses. Alos available in Rapadura, a finer grind whole cane sugar.
Pros: measure for measure, these sugars contain fewer calories than heavily refined white sugar and supply many of the nutrients present in sugar cane.
Cons: Like other sugars, consume in moderation to keep blood sugar in check. They contain nutrients, but nowhere near those offered in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other whole foods.
FRUIT POWER--FREEZE DRIED FRUIT POWDER
A new type of all-natural sweetener. Available in health food stores, fruit powders, which contains the nutrients and phytochemicals of fruit, add a splash of color and flavor to yogurt, cereal baked goods and smoothies.
In Jillian's book Master your Metabolism she says this about sugar:
"Tossing all sugars:
Just because HFCS is evil doesn't necessarily put a halo over the other sugars' heads. NO, we still have way too much of the noncorn variety in our diets as well. The average American eats more than 30 teaspoons of sugar a day--that's more than 114 pounds of sugar a year!!
Sugar is everywhere and you want to be sure to eat it in extreme moderation. The World health organization recommends no more than 12-15 teaspoons a day, or 48-60 grams. I prefer that you keep it as low as possible. Check out sugar aliases many aliases below(I'll give you a hint: Anything that ends in "-ose" is a sugar.)
**to see her list of aliases, pick up her book, MASTER YOUR METABOLISM, the the information is amazing!!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
On Friday, I got off of work at 6:30am and headed to a job that lasted until 2:30pm. I had a couple of things to do, and I got a gluten free pizza at Amici's restaurant and headed home. I showered and was in bed by 4pm and I slept until about 11pm, it was great!!! I grabbed a bite to eat and headed to watch the twins.
Not a very exciting day, huh? NO physical activity except up to 2:30pm. Since it was not such an exciting day, I thought I would give you the low down on sugar that I just learned.
THE LOW DOWN ON SUGAR
I got this information from a magazine called Living Without. It is a great magazine for anyone that has dietary restrictions of any type! So, I'll just give you a little about each one, but for complete list of pros/cons, "best for", "need to know" and ones to try, please check out LIVING WITHOUT Magazine
All-natural sweeteners are flavorful and better for you than sugar
HONEY
There are more than 300 varieties in the US, ranging from light and floral to dark and assertive, depending on the bees' nectar source.
Pros: high in antioxidants and helps to soothe irritated tissues.
Cons: high glycemic index , slightly more calories than sugar.
MAPLE SYRUP
Boiled-down ambrosia from the sap of the maple tree.
**this is REAL maple syrup, not a faux syrup made with processed sweeteners and flavoring
Pros: a cocktail of 20 different disease-thwarting antioxidant compounds, including phenolics similar to those found in berries. contains fewer calories than honey and table sugar.
Cons: has a high concentration of fast digesting sugars, and too much can send your blood sugar on a roller-coaster.
MOLASSES
a concentrated by-product of the process that turns sugar cane into refined granulated white sugar.Not as sweet as white sugar. Brown sugar is just white sugar with a fleck of molasses.
Pros: It has a greater antioxidant capacity than maple syrup, corn syrup, refined sugar and agave. It also possesses more vital nutrients than other sweeteners. The magnesium plays and essential role in bone hjealth , immunity and blood sugar regulation. **Those who consume the most magnesium in their diets are about half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes over a 20 year period as people who take in the least magnesum.
Cons: The distinctive bittersweet flavor of molasses limits it's use.
AGAVE
It is less viscous than honey, maple syrup and molasses with a meadowish flavor. It contains about the same number of calories as honey.
Pros: about 40% sweetere than sugar, which means you can use less and thus reduce calorie intake. Used in moderation, it can be an option for people concerned about diabetes because it ranks lower on the glycemic index than many other sweeteners and produces less-dramatic spikes in blood sugar after consumption.
Cons: A somewhat empty calorie source. It's high fructose content means it should be enjoyed in moderation only.
PALM SUGAR
..an up an coming sweetener, produced by the harvesters climbing palm trees and collecting the samp from the flower blossoms. Nectar is boiled into thick syrup, then dried and ground to produce a grainy, crumbly sweetener that's not quite as sweet as refined white sugar...sometimes called coconut sugar.
Pros: Low-fructose, and low glycemic index make it beneficial for diabetics or anyone watching their waistline.
cons: Not yet as readily available in stores as other sweeteners adn can be more expensive. ***keep a watchful eye for palm sugars that might be mixed with heavily refined sugars to cut costs.
DATE SUGAR
It is made from dehydrated and ground dates.
Pros: Contains the abundance of fiber, vitamins and minerals, including iron and calcium, found in dried dates. It is one of the most "whole food" sweeteners available.
Cons: It can be tricky to find in stores. Granuals don't readily dissolve in liquid so it's not ideal for sweetening beverages.
STEVIA
Extremely sweet sugar substitute, 200-300 times sweetener than table sugar, is extracted from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, native to Paraguay.
Pros: more natural then alternative to calorie-free sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose. Offers weight-loss benefits and won't mess around with your blood sugar levels.
Cons: some stevia products on the market actually contain more sugar alcohols, added for bulk, than actual stevia extract.
TURBINADO
produced by squeezing the juice from sugar cane and then evaporating it to form crystals that are larger than traditional white sugar. A similar sugar is Sucanat which is a whole cane sugar that contains all cane sugar's nutrient-rich natural molasses. Alos available in Rapadura, a finer grind whole cane sugar.
Pros: measure for measure, these sugars contain fewer calories than heavily refined white sugar and supply many of the nutrients present in sugar cane.
Cons: Like other sugars, consume in moderation to keep blood sugar in check. They contain nutrients, but nowhere near those offered in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other whole foods.
FRUIT POWER--FREEZE DRIED FRUIT POWDER
A new type of all-natural sweetener. Available in health food stores, fruit powders, which contains the nutrients and phytochemicals of fruit, add a splash of color and flavor to yogurt, cereal baked goods and smoothies.
In Jillian's book Master your Metabolism she says this about sugar:
"Tossing all sugars:
Just because HFCS is evil doesn't necessarily put a halo over the other sugars' heads. NO, we still have way too much of the noncorn variety in our diets as well. The average American eats more than 30 teaspoons of sugar a day--that's more than 114 pounds of sugar a year!!
Sugar is everywhere and you want to be sure to eat it in extreme moderation. The World health organization recommends no more than 12-15 teaspoons a day, or 48-60 grams. I prefer that you keep it as low as possible. Check out sugar aliases many aliases below(I'll give you a hint: Anything that ends in "-ose" is a sugar.)
**to see her list of aliases, pick up her book, MASTER YOUR METABOLISM, the the information is amazing!!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Friday, February 18, 2011
Special thanks to all of you!
just wanted to thank all of you who have been reading my blog. I hope that it is making a some sort of difference in your life. In exploring my blog and all the info on it, I found out that I can see where my "audience" is from. Pretty cool to me to see the following places listed:
United States
Canada
South Korea
Malaysia
United Kingdom
Russia
Germany
South Africa
Australia
Denmark
Would LOVE to learn more about all of you!! Feel free to "follow" my blog or post on it. Or, you can find me on twitter: jillianinspired is my "name".
Thanks again, I look forward to learning more about you!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
United States
Canada
South Korea
Malaysia
United Kingdom
Russia
Germany
South Africa
Australia
Denmark
Would LOVE to learn more about all of you!! Feel free to "follow" my blog or post on it. Or, you can find me on twitter: jillianinspired is my "name".
Thanks again, I look forward to learning more about you!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Priorities, Stretching, NoOodles, Jillian on too much sleep...AND Hoss Parvizian
Hello to all of you, and how is your journey going? I would LOVE to hear about all of you! Think of how many people you could help with YOUR story. You are an amazing person that has great gifts to offer and we want you around to hear your story and see your wonderful life unfold!!!!
This might be a bit long, becuase thoughts just keep flying out of my head, but I am hoping that you read until the end when I talk about Hoss.
JILLIAN
First, regarding sleep, I forgot to mention that in Jillian's article she talks about the hormone effects of too much sleep also. Here's what she said:
If you sleep 10 hours a night, you might face some of the same hormonal risks as those who sleep too little. A recent Canadian study found that people who sleep fewer than seven hours or more than nine hours weigh an average of four more pounds (and had wider waists) than people who sleep eight hours every night. Researchers believe that having too much or too little sleep interferes with your ability to control your appetite, because it simultaneously increases hunger hormone ghrelin while it decreases satisfaction hormone leptin.
ME
stretching
I got my 7 hours of sleep and then, I did my exercises from a book that I got at the library, Stretching for Dummies. I am not done reading yet, but I decided to skip to morning stretches because I am usually very stiff in the morning. It gives examples of stretching to do before you get out of bed to wake up your body. It states, "The goal of these stretches is to oosen up your joints and get your muscles lengthened after moving so little for so long while sleeping Just like breakfast being a healthy start to my day, and somthing that my body craves, stretching is a great way to get my body ready for the activities that I need to do throughout the day too! Stretching once a day is great, athletes often strtech 2-3 times a day! Remember, stretching helps to prevent injuries, muscles from feeling achy, stress from getting the best of you.
priorites
As for the rest of my day, absolutely no activity outside of my daily moving around. I worked at two jobs and did a bunch of walking around, but there was a ton of rain, so we didn't get outside at all. I made a tough choice though. I could have gotten my C25K in after work, but I chose to sleep. The only reason I slept is because I took a job overnight, because I lost sight of my priorities. I didn't have my goal in front of me. I got a text from the family that needed help, and I took the job tonight, thursday, and friday night from midnight-6:30/7am. So, later in the day, when I realized what I had done, I made a game plan to maximize my sleep time. Once again, I made a game plan while driving home from work, and I stuck to it. I packed 3 meals and was in bed by about 7:40pm and slept until 11:20pm. After I finish this, and do a couple of baby things, I will get more sleep. I have to be at a job at 7:15am, so the sleep will be an issue. Luckily, afterwards, I will be able to sleep 7 hours before returning here. Even though my priorities were out of allignment with my goals, I was able to come up with a solution that would make the most of the less desireable choice I had made previously. I don't plan to eat overnight here, I will eat the meal that I packed, with a cup of green tea with honey, when I leave at 6:30am.
NoOodles
Even though my activity was diminished, my eating was right on track. I will have to post stats later, I forgot to put syncing cable in my bag, but I think my cals were 1900. I am working on the calorie thing. This weekend I will be looking back at what I was doing before to try and get a beter handle on it. I have found that preparing everything at night is workign better for me than in the morning, so I am going to stick with that. It seems to be that since I have things to do when I get home, I can multi-task by cooking while I am doing those things. Not as much to do in the morning, so it's not as efficient to prepare food in the morning.
Now, I have to tell you about a product that I heard about and finally found at the store. The product is called NoOodles. What is it? AMAZING!!
NoOodle™ is made from high-fiber yam flour and water. As you are most probably aware, soluble fiber and water have no calories, thus NoOodle™ is entirely devoid of calories. NoOodle™ is the healthy alternative.
You can eat it by itself, just by rinsing. I added it to my regular pasta because I was unsure of the texture and how I would like it and because I needed the nutritional value. It has no flavor really, and you can use it instead of your regular pasta. No calories because it is a soluable fiber, no gluten, and it expands slightly after consuming, so you feel full. Check out the website, it's pretty amazing!! I found it at Whole foods.
Remember, you need calories and nutrients to make your body run efficiently. WE NEED GRAINS, don't cut them out completely!! I felt full after eating them, it was great! I have tweeted Jillian and Jeanette Jenkins and am emailing Marco Borges to get their feedback since they are the experts. But with all that I have read and learned from them, it looks like an good thing to have. Oh, and it's all natural, no chemicals or anything. I'll let you know what I find out!
You can find on FB and Twitter and the website link is posted on the right of the page, they have recipes there too! I am also posting link to the 10 health benefits of NoOodle too.
Hoss Parvizian
I have to mention Hoss today. He posted on his blog yesterday something that is really worth your time to read. I posted comments on there too, both of us are hoping that we can help people to make healthy choices in their lives, and you can really see that in Hoss' post. I am mentioning it because it gives some insight into how overweight people respond differently to the same information, and it helps to illustrate how it really is about overcoming a fear, embracing change and making a decision every day. Hoss's web address link is on right side of my blog.
Hoss is in the hunt for a victory, as am I and many of you, I'm sure. I know that none of our victories will end our journey of a heathly lifestyle though. We will need to make healthy choices every day, even though there will be temptations to settle into a comfort zone. Oh, that reminds me of a great book, "The Dream Giver" I highly recommend it to anyone trying to overcome, find their dream and stay out of your comfort zone.
Please read his blog, especially yesterday's post. Also, if you ever have any comments, I encourage you to reply both on his blog or mine. Your insight or story might impact someone you may have never met! What a great way to make a difference!!
I am having trouble posting links to site, will try later today. Here they are, you can cut and paste them:
HOSS: https://newhosscity.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/my-friend/#comment-65
NoOodle: http://www.nooodle.com/
NoOodle 10 health benefits: http://www.nooodle.com/pdfs/NoOodle_Health_Benefits.pdf
Stats:
Calories burned:
calories consumed:
calorie deficit:
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
This might be a bit long, becuase thoughts just keep flying out of my head, but I am hoping that you read until the end when I talk about Hoss.
JILLIAN
First, regarding sleep, I forgot to mention that in Jillian's article she talks about the hormone effects of too much sleep also. Here's what she said:
If you sleep 10 hours a night, you might face some of the same hormonal risks as those who sleep too little. A recent Canadian study found that people who sleep fewer than seven hours or more than nine hours weigh an average of four more pounds (and had wider waists) than people who sleep eight hours every night. Researchers believe that having too much or too little sleep interferes with your ability to control your appetite, because it simultaneously increases hunger hormone ghrelin while it decreases satisfaction hormone leptin.
ME
stretching
I got my 7 hours of sleep and then, I did my exercises from a book that I got at the library, Stretching for Dummies. I am not done reading yet, but I decided to skip to morning stretches because I am usually very stiff in the morning. It gives examples of stretching to do before you get out of bed to wake up your body. It states, "The goal of these stretches is to oosen up your joints and get your muscles lengthened after moving so little for so long while sleeping Just like breakfast being a healthy start to my day, and somthing that my body craves, stretching is a great way to get my body ready for the activities that I need to do throughout the day too! Stretching once a day is great, athletes often strtech 2-3 times a day! Remember, stretching helps to prevent injuries, muscles from feeling achy, stress from getting the best of you.
priorites
As for the rest of my day, absolutely no activity outside of my daily moving around. I worked at two jobs and did a bunch of walking around, but there was a ton of rain, so we didn't get outside at all. I made a tough choice though. I could have gotten my C25K in after work, but I chose to sleep. The only reason I slept is because I took a job overnight, because I lost sight of my priorities. I didn't have my goal in front of me. I got a text from the family that needed help, and I took the job tonight, thursday, and friday night from midnight-6:30/7am. So, later in the day, when I realized what I had done, I made a game plan to maximize my sleep time. Once again, I made a game plan while driving home from work, and I stuck to it. I packed 3 meals and was in bed by about 7:40pm and slept until 11:20pm. After I finish this, and do a couple of baby things, I will get more sleep. I have to be at a job at 7:15am, so the sleep will be an issue. Luckily, afterwards, I will be able to sleep 7 hours before returning here. Even though my priorities were out of allignment with my goals, I was able to come up with a solution that would make the most of the less desireable choice I had made previously. I don't plan to eat overnight here, I will eat the meal that I packed, with a cup of green tea with honey, when I leave at 6:30am.
NoOodles
Even though my activity was diminished, my eating was right on track. I will have to post stats later, I forgot to put syncing cable in my bag, but I think my cals were 1900. I am working on the calorie thing. This weekend I will be looking back at what I was doing before to try and get a beter handle on it. I have found that preparing everything at night is workign better for me than in the morning, so I am going to stick with that. It seems to be that since I have things to do when I get home, I can multi-task by cooking while I am doing those things. Not as much to do in the morning, so it's not as efficient to prepare food in the morning.
Now, I have to tell you about a product that I heard about and finally found at the store. The product is called NoOodles. What is it? AMAZING!!
NoOodle™ is made from high-fiber yam flour and water. As you are most probably aware, soluble fiber and water have no calories, thus NoOodle™ is entirely devoid of calories. NoOodle™ is the healthy alternative.
You can eat it by itself, just by rinsing. I added it to my regular pasta because I was unsure of the texture and how I would like it and because I needed the nutritional value. It has no flavor really, and you can use it instead of your regular pasta. No calories because it is a soluable fiber, no gluten, and it expands slightly after consuming, so you feel full. Check out the website, it's pretty amazing!! I found it at Whole foods.
Remember, you need calories and nutrients to make your body run efficiently. WE NEED GRAINS, don't cut them out completely!! I felt full after eating them, it was great! I have tweeted Jillian and Jeanette Jenkins and am emailing Marco Borges to get their feedback since they are the experts. But with all that I have read and learned from them, it looks like an good thing to have. Oh, and it's all natural, no chemicals or anything. I'll let you know what I find out!
You can find on FB and Twitter and the website link is posted on the right of the page, they have recipes there too! I am also posting link to the 10 health benefits of NoOodle too.
Hoss Parvizian
I have to mention Hoss today. He posted on his blog yesterday something that is really worth your time to read. I posted comments on there too, both of us are hoping that we can help people to make healthy choices in their lives, and you can really see that in Hoss' post. I am mentioning it because it gives some insight into how overweight people respond differently to the same information, and it helps to illustrate how it really is about overcoming a fear, embracing change and making a decision every day. Hoss's web address link is on right side of my blog.
Hoss is in the hunt for a victory, as am I and many of you, I'm sure. I know that none of our victories will end our journey of a heathly lifestyle though. We will need to make healthy choices every day, even though there will be temptations to settle into a comfort zone. Oh, that reminds me of a great book, "The Dream Giver" I highly recommend it to anyone trying to overcome, find their dream and stay out of your comfort zone.
Please read his blog, especially yesterday's post. Also, if you ever have any comments, I encourage you to reply both on his blog or mine. Your insight or story might impact someone you may have never met! What a great way to make a difference!!
I am having trouble posting links to site, will try later today. Here they are, you can cut and paste them:
HOSS: https://newhosscity.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/my-friend/#comment-65
NoOodle: http://www.nooodle.com/
NoOodle 10 health benefits: http://www.nooodle.com/pdfs/NoOodle_Health_Benefits.pdf
Stats:
Calories burned:
calories consumed:
calorie deficit:
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday and water!!
I had a bit of a different schedule today, and it worked out pretty well! I did my usual morning of work from 8-1. Usually, I would have gone to the gym, but with as tired as I was, I went home and got in about 1.5 hours of sleep! I grabbed iced tea, just to make sure I'd be awake for the evening and afternoon.
Today was swimming day for the little girl I was watching. So, while she had her lesson, I got to go swim some laps!! It was freezing in the outside pool, and her lesson was almost over, so I only got a few laps in, but it felt great!! Then, I played in the pool with her for about 45 minutes too! There is a good chance I will do more of these afternoons, so how great would that be to get a mini workout in and get paid for it, because I am working. I feel blessed to have the flexibility and oportunities that I have had lately, it makes the marathon days okay for now. So, since I was new to the routine, we didn't get her back home until about 8:30(luckily we all did Jamba Juice for dinner)on my way to drop her off. Originally I wanted to go to bed by 8:30/9, but I needed to change the plan. On the way home, I used the ride to plan out EXACTLY what I needed to do to get the most possible sleep and still do what I needed to do. I need "wind down" time every day and I often find it in my car if I take the time to just focus on the game plan for when I get home. So, I planned out computer obligations, and my meals! when I got home, I just focused and the tasks at hand and got them done, including preparing and packing all meals for Thursday so that I can sleep in! I was in bed by 11pm and slept until 6:20am!!
I haven't talked much about my food and eating patterns lately, but I think that I am doing what Allison suggested, and seeing what is best for me. Here is what I'm figuring out so far: I have to eat within 1 hour of waking up, and it needs to be about 400-500 calories, unless I am going to workout, then I just do about 200 calories and eat 200-300 or so more an hour after the workout. I need to have protien and a carb at each meal. I generally have a green vegetable too, but as far as sustaining me, I need the other for sure! I NEED to drink a ton of water, by noon, I usually have consumed about 73 ounces.
STats for today:
calories burned:3068
calories consumed:2067
calorie deficit:1001
Not super happy about the total intake, but still lost almost 1/3 of a pound. I just looked at my food, and it seems that due to the schedule and not planning completely, my main source of protien for the day was Nuts. Those have great health benefits, but higher in fat. Even though it is good fat, I have to watch the calories. I generally have been trying to only have nuts 1-2 times a day and beans one time so that I get all of the health benefits of those, the variety, and the calorie and fat balance too.
If I had gotten off on time, I would have gone home and done the C25K, day 2. Since I didn't, I will do it on Thursday night.
How much water did you get in today? How about nuts, are they part of your diet on a regular basis? Beans? The health benefits for these are huge, I'll give you more about them tomorrow, but why not spend a few minutes and check it out online on your own? Doing the research often gets me excited about the information!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Today was swimming day for the little girl I was watching. So, while she had her lesson, I got to go swim some laps!! It was freezing in the outside pool, and her lesson was almost over, so I only got a few laps in, but it felt great!! Then, I played in the pool with her for about 45 minutes too! There is a good chance I will do more of these afternoons, so how great would that be to get a mini workout in and get paid for it, because I am working. I feel blessed to have the flexibility and oportunities that I have had lately, it makes the marathon days okay for now. So, since I was new to the routine, we didn't get her back home until about 8:30(luckily we all did Jamba Juice for dinner)on my way to drop her off. Originally I wanted to go to bed by 8:30/9, but I needed to change the plan. On the way home, I used the ride to plan out EXACTLY what I needed to do to get the most possible sleep and still do what I needed to do. I need "wind down" time every day and I often find it in my car if I take the time to just focus on the game plan for when I get home. So, I planned out computer obligations, and my meals! when I got home, I just focused and the tasks at hand and got them done, including preparing and packing all meals for Thursday so that I can sleep in! I was in bed by 11pm and slept until 6:20am!!
I haven't talked much about my food and eating patterns lately, but I think that I am doing what Allison suggested, and seeing what is best for me. Here is what I'm figuring out so far: I have to eat within 1 hour of waking up, and it needs to be about 400-500 calories, unless I am going to workout, then I just do about 200 calories and eat 200-300 or so more an hour after the workout. I need to have protien and a carb at each meal. I generally have a green vegetable too, but as far as sustaining me, I need the other for sure! I NEED to drink a ton of water, by noon, I usually have consumed about 73 ounces.
STats for today:
calories burned:3068
calories consumed:2067
calorie deficit:1001
Not super happy about the total intake, but still lost almost 1/3 of a pound. I just looked at my food, and it seems that due to the schedule and not planning completely, my main source of protien for the day was Nuts. Those have great health benefits, but higher in fat. Even though it is good fat, I have to watch the calories. I generally have been trying to only have nuts 1-2 times a day and beans one time so that I get all of the health benefits of those, the variety, and the calorie and fat balance too.
If I had gotten off on time, I would have gone home and done the C25K, day 2. Since I didn't, I will do it on Thursday night.
How much water did you get in today? How about nuts, are they part of your diet on a regular basis? Beans? The health benefits for these are huge, I'll give you more about them tomorrow, but why not spend a few minutes and check it out online on your own? Doing the research often gets me excited about the information!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
tired Tuesday and Jillian sleep advice
Well, only 4 hours of sleep last night, and it is promising to be a very busy day, but only one job in the morning, so that is nice!
I started the day with a great breakfast as usual. I also added green tea so I could have a little caffiene push. It totally helped me through the morning where I had more activity than usual since I was able to take the little girl that I watch to the park before school. After that, errands(seriously, do those EVER end!), then met up with my friend, Jon, and went for a walk. We were limited on time, but we got changed, headed to the track and walked 3.10 miles in 44.51minutes. It was so great!! In less than 70 minutes, we met, changed, drove to the track and walked 3 miles!! It is just such a good reminder that even if you don't have a ton of time, you can do something! I headed out for a long drive north for a hair cut and a leadership meeting, which was so amazing but it was 2:20am when I got home, so getting up at 6am, was challenging, and I am very tired.
I did pretty well with food until I got in the car to drive north. It was kind of strange. I needed to get some water, so I stopped at a convenience store. my old habit might have been to grab a bag of chips or something like that. Today, it wasn't really time for me to eat, but I had finished the walk about an hour prior, and was starving. I ended up getting peanuts. Not so bad of a choice, right? I got 3 packs, intending for them to be one for then and the other if I needed it another time or late tonight. by the time that I got home, they were all gone, and I had purchased food at the restaurant because I was famished. The lack of sleep makes me hungry, for sure, I think I've talked about that before. In addition, I thought that it would give me the energy to make my 1.5 hour drive home.
I am frustrated because of the calories that I added, but not defeated at all. I didn't add junk food, I added protien, so I made better choices when i added the calories for sure!! Tomorrow will be better, I already planned most of my meals for Wednesday. I will just have to work out more thursday-sunday.
The crazy thing was that in my daily email from Jillian's website this morning, it was like Jillian had been reading my blog and sending me a message! The article for the day was titled "Sleep and it's Hormone effect"
Here is her tip:
"JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Stress and Sleep
Perhaps one of the biggest causes and symptoms of the hormonal shutdown from stress is when people start to cut into their hours of quality sleep. The percentage of young adults sleeping eight to nine hours per night has almost been cut in half in the past 50 years, from 40 percent in 1960 to 23 percent in 2002. During the same time period, the incidence of obesity has nearly doubled. Coincidence?"
Something to really think about, huh?
No stats for today, I was too tired to sync my bodybugg tonight, so will add the stats later if you want to come back and check them out.
here are the stats:
calories burned:2928
calories consumed:2629
calorie deficit:299
so, I guess even though I made good choices, the calories were so high!! UGGG well, it's okay, and I totally learned from THAT!!! Why did I even buy them??? I think, like I said, it was a habit in the past on long drives. No more..unless I bring from home!! The good thing is...I still had a deficit, even though it was so small!! geeze, I can't believe I ate 2629 calories...crazy!!!!
I'm looking forward to my nap at 1:45 and sleep tonight..make sure you get yours in too, okay???
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
I started the day with a great breakfast as usual. I also added green tea so I could have a little caffiene push. It totally helped me through the morning where I had more activity than usual since I was able to take the little girl that I watch to the park before school. After that, errands(seriously, do those EVER end!), then met up with my friend, Jon, and went for a walk. We were limited on time, but we got changed, headed to the track and walked 3.10 miles in 44.51minutes. It was so great!! In less than 70 minutes, we met, changed, drove to the track and walked 3 miles!! It is just such a good reminder that even if you don't have a ton of time, you can do something! I headed out for a long drive north for a hair cut and a leadership meeting, which was so amazing but it was 2:20am when I got home, so getting up at 6am, was challenging, and I am very tired.
I did pretty well with food until I got in the car to drive north. It was kind of strange. I needed to get some water, so I stopped at a convenience store. my old habit might have been to grab a bag of chips or something like that. Today, it wasn't really time for me to eat, but I had finished the walk about an hour prior, and was starving. I ended up getting peanuts. Not so bad of a choice, right? I got 3 packs, intending for them to be one for then and the other if I needed it another time or late tonight. by the time that I got home, they were all gone, and I had purchased food at the restaurant because I was famished. The lack of sleep makes me hungry, for sure, I think I've talked about that before. In addition, I thought that it would give me the energy to make my 1.5 hour drive home.
I am frustrated because of the calories that I added, but not defeated at all. I didn't add junk food, I added protien, so I made better choices when i added the calories for sure!! Tomorrow will be better, I already planned most of my meals for Wednesday. I will just have to work out more thursday-sunday.
The crazy thing was that in my daily email from Jillian's website this morning, it was like Jillian had been reading my blog and sending me a message! The article for the day was titled "Sleep and it's Hormone effect"
Here is her tip:
"JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Stress and Sleep
Perhaps one of the biggest causes and symptoms of the hormonal shutdown from stress is when people start to cut into their hours of quality sleep. The percentage of young adults sleeping eight to nine hours per night has almost been cut in half in the past 50 years, from 40 percent in 1960 to 23 percent in 2002. During the same time period, the incidence of obesity has nearly doubled. Coincidence?"
Something to really think about, huh?
No stats for today, I was too tired to sync my bodybugg tonight, so will add the stats later if you want to come back and check them out.
here are the stats:
calories burned:2928
calories consumed:2629
calorie deficit:299
so, I guess even though I made good choices, the calories were so high!! UGGG well, it's okay, and I totally learned from THAT!!! Why did I even buy them??? I think, like I said, it was a habit in the past on long drives. No more..unless I bring from home!! The good thing is...I still had a deficit, even though it was so small!! geeze, I can't believe I ate 2629 calories...crazy!!!!
I'm looking forward to my nap at 1:45 and sleep tonight..make sure you get yours in too, okay???
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
weigh in #32 and C25K is back!!!
...Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumping, out on the street the trafic starts jumpin' with folks like me on the job from 9 to 5...
Okay, I know, I don't work 9-5, and I shower at night, and I can't hear the traffic from my apartment, HOWEVER, you know how your foot starts tapping or you start bouncing when you hear that Dolly Parton song? If you say "no", or don't recognize that song, then you must be really young or from a foreign land. Neither of which is bad, but then you won't really understand how I was feeling today!!
I woke up and didn't really want to get up, I was so nice and cozy in bed, ya know? But then, I remembered my dream, my goal, my commitment to myself and the momentum that I have from so much walking last week and I hopped out of bed.
I weighed in and was +1.2 pounds. It could be any number of things, and I really didn't care. I have refocused on my goals, recommited and next week, that 1.2 pounds will be totally gone plus more!!
I had a great breakfast and left for work. The traffic was insane, but nothing was messing up my mood, it was so fabulous! My morning was not terribly active, but we did have to run and errand and go walk around a store a lot! Then, at the afternoon job, just doing work around the house, I was running everywhere, it was so great! I love when my day is totally active and I know I'm burning a ton of calories. As far as food, my meals were all planned, but I did run out of time, and broke up one of my meals in a strange way. In addition, I ended up getting some iced tea that had some caffeine in it, and that gave me a boost too! I knew that I had to run some errands on the way home, so of course, there was more walking!!!
I got home much later than planned and had to eat dinner.. later than planned also, that was disappointing, but knew I needed more food. I really wanted to just take a shower and go to bed, but I knew that I made a commitment to myself to start the couch to 5K program(C25K) again. I know that I can do a 5K, I have done 3, but it has been quite awhile since I ran because of my injury, then later because of not being motivated. So, I decided to gradually get my running strength back, I would start this program again. So, on Day 1, if you don't remember from when I did it before, I run 60 seconds/walk 90 seconds and alternated for 20 minutes. I ran at 4.6 for most of the runs, and walked at 3.6. I was feeling pretty good about it. What is great is that when I started this program before, it was so challenging and scary to get through just one minute of running, and today, I didn't really feel too fatigued, but my breathing sure does need some work! Sooo happy that I did it!! Oh, and I got to use my treadmill that is in my apartment, I loved it and I was so thankful to Lisa and Matt for giving it to me!
I have packed my meals for tomorrow and have entered them in my bodybugg online so that I know how many calories I need to burn for the day. You can probably notice the time, and realize that there is no way that I will get in my 7-8 hours of sleep. I am disappointed about that, but with everything done, stress will be reduced and thus my journey will be better.
Oh, here are my stats for the day..they are pretty good for only 30 minutes of working out!
water--- I drank 144 ounces!!
calories burned:3389
calories consumed:1719
calorie deficit:1670 (that's almost half of a pound!!)
Learning and growing into a healthier me!!
~Cindy Lou
Okay, I know, I don't work 9-5, and I shower at night, and I can't hear the traffic from my apartment, HOWEVER, you know how your foot starts tapping or you start bouncing when you hear that Dolly Parton song? If you say "no", or don't recognize that song, then you must be really young or from a foreign land. Neither of which is bad, but then you won't really understand how I was feeling today!!
I woke up and didn't really want to get up, I was so nice and cozy in bed, ya know? But then, I remembered my dream, my goal, my commitment to myself and the momentum that I have from so much walking last week and I hopped out of bed.
I weighed in and was +1.2 pounds. It could be any number of things, and I really didn't care. I have refocused on my goals, recommited and next week, that 1.2 pounds will be totally gone plus more!!
I had a great breakfast and left for work. The traffic was insane, but nothing was messing up my mood, it was so fabulous! My morning was not terribly active, but we did have to run and errand and go walk around a store a lot! Then, at the afternoon job, just doing work around the house, I was running everywhere, it was so great! I love when my day is totally active and I know I'm burning a ton of calories. As far as food, my meals were all planned, but I did run out of time, and broke up one of my meals in a strange way. In addition, I ended up getting some iced tea that had some caffeine in it, and that gave me a boost too! I knew that I had to run some errands on the way home, so of course, there was more walking!!!
I got home much later than planned and had to eat dinner.. later than planned also, that was disappointing, but knew I needed more food. I really wanted to just take a shower and go to bed, but I knew that I made a commitment to myself to start the couch to 5K program(C25K) again. I know that I can do a 5K, I have done 3, but it has been quite awhile since I ran because of my injury, then later because of not being motivated. So, I decided to gradually get my running strength back, I would start this program again. So, on Day 1, if you don't remember from when I did it before, I run 60 seconds/walk 90 seconds and alternated for 20 minutes. I ran at 4.6 for most of the runs, and walked at 3.6. I was feeling pretty good about it. What is great is that when I started this program before, it was so challenging and scary to get through just one minute of running, and today, I didn't really feel too fatigued, but my breathing sure does need some work! Sooo happy that I did it!! Oh, and I got to use my treadmill that is in my apartment, I loved it and I was so thankful to Lisa and Matt for giving it to me!
I have packed my meals for tomorrow and have entered them in my bodybugg online so that I know how many calories I need to burn for the day. You can probably notice the time, and realize that there is no way that I will get in my 7-8 hours of sleep. I am disappointed about that, but with everything done, stress will be reduced and thus my journey will be better.
Oh, here are my stats for the day..they are pretty good for only 30 minutes of working out!
water--- I drank 144 ounces!!
calories burned:3389
calories consumed:1719
calorie deficit:1670 (that's almost half of a pound!!)
Learning and growing into a healthier me!!
~Cindy Lou
Still succeeding on Sunday
I got about 6 hours of sleep since I had the leadership meeting I was up late. I got up and took the dog for a walk, and loaded up my car since I was headed back home from the pet sitting gig.
After I dropped everything off at home, I headed to the park to meet Beth. I walked with her last Sunday, and we decided to meet again this week! Remember how I was talking about my friend yesterday who was concerned about walking too slow? Well, today I was walking with Beth,and I remembered our walk last week. I was concerned about her having to walk to slow. She assured me that it was no big deal, just like I did with my friend yesterday. Now I know how she felt..it was a pretty cool realization. Well, today was much different. I walked a few times this week, and I was much more energetic and ready for a spedier walk. I don't really know if it was her fastest pace, but we sure were faster and farther than last week. We had finished our route back at our cars, and when I looked at the distance that we had walked, we were at 2.87miles. We decided to keep going so that we could hit 3 miles. We finished with 3.33, I think. I was so excited and was feeling so energetic!! I got home, did lots of things around here, and visited with some neighbors, it was a fabulous afternoon.
In the evening I went to see my sister, and after helping her with some things, we ended up taking a walk, and we ended up walking about 1.5 miles!
It ended up being a great day for seeing people that I cared about and for activity, that's for sure!
I also have to tell you about something strange. I was behind on reading my emails from Jillian's webiste.(I have them automatically go into a folder so I can read thaem later) So today I went to look at them and how crazy, the title of one of her emails was, "How to turn a Problem into an Opportunity" I was freaking out...I was on the same wavelength as Jillian!! I know, I'm goofy, but it was just so shocking!! some good things to think about from her.
I will be kicking off tomorrow with a very refocused attitude, and back to the Couch to 5K!! Oh, and weigh in happens too!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
After I dropped everything off at home, I headed to the park to meet Beth. I walked with her last Sunday, and we decided to meet again this week! Remember how I was talking about my friend yesterday who was concerned about walking too slow? Well, today I was walking with Beth,and I remembered our walk last week. I was concerned about her having to walk to slow. She assured me that it was no big deal, just like I did with my friend yesterday. Now I know how she felt..it was a pretty cool realization. Well, today was much different. I walked a few times this week, and I was much more energetic and ready for a spedier walk. I don't really know if it was her fastest pace, but we sure were faster and farther than last week. We had finished our route back at our cars, and when I looked at the distance that we had walked, we were at 2.87miles. We decided to keep going so that we could hit 3 miles. We finished with 3.33, I think. I was so excited and was feeling so energetic!! I got home, did lots of things around here, and visited with some neighbors, it was a fabulous afternoon.
In the evening I went to see my sister, and after helping her with some things, we ended up taking a walk, and we ended up walking about 1.5 miles!
It ended up being a great day for seeing people that I cared about and for activity, that's for sure!
I also have to tell you about something strange. I was behind on reading my emails from Jillian's webiste.(I have them automatically go into a folder so I can read thaem later) So today I went to look at them and how crazy, the title of one of her emails was, "How to turn a Problem into an Opportunity" I was freaking out...I was on the same wavelength as Jillian!! I know, I'm goofy, but it was just so shocking!! some good things to think about from her.
I will be kicking off tomorrow with a very refocused attitude, and back to the Couch to 5K!! Oh, and weigh in happens too!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Monday, February 14, 2011
successful saturday, and some reminders
What a great way to start the morning! I took a walk with a friend today. She told me that she was struggling and wanted to walk because she is starting a fitness program and moving in the direction of a healthier lifestyle. I was sooo excited to see her and join her in her journey. She was concerned about maybe walking slower than I would usually go. To me, it wasn't about how fast we were going, it was about doing something better for our health and our future! I used an app on my phone, "map my run" to see the distance and time for our walk. We did 1.41 miles, and it took about 33 minutes. She was a bit tired after the walk, but when I told her that we walked 1.41 miles, I noticed a smile on her face, it was so cool to me! We talked about how it didn't matter if it was record time, but more about if we hadn't planned to get together and walk, she (and possibly I) would have just been sitting around. I was soo happy to have started my day out that way, and now, we have decided that we will do that every Saturday. Obviously, things can come up, but for now, it's going to be a regular thing :). I am so excited!!
Well, with the morning starting off like that, I had some great energy and took the dog for a walk where I was pet sitting. I hung out with the pets for awhile, then, went to my apartment and did some things around there. After getting cleaned up, I went back to feed the pets and take the dog for another walk. All of this walking has been fabulous! Of course, better results with hard core work out at the gym, but these walks this week have been so great to just start moving more again!!
At night I attended a leadership seminar. I did a fair amount a walking around, but the majority was just sitting. In listening to these great TEAM leaders, I heard some things that reminded me about my journey. IT made me really start to think about some things a little more, it was great! Here are a couple of things I picked up:
--How are you avoiding YOUR reality?
***some examples were things like watching TV, doing tons of social activities just to avoid the thing that will get you to your goal. ***
Something I thought about was that when my life seems to lack excitement, or if I am bored, instead of working out, I want to watch a DVD or something, and really, that is just avoiding things in my life. Is my life that bad?? not really, but tv, movies, social activities they take us out of whatever is dragging us down. That doesn't mean we need to stop doing them, it just means that, for me, I need to examine WHY I am trying to avoid things in my life. Then, I can see where my goals are so that I can make my actions line up with my goals.
A great quote from tonight: "the problem is the opportunity"-Dan Hawkins
Now isn't that so true!!!
--Get with a mentor. Someone who has been on your journey and has the results that you want. Then they can help you course correct so you can get back on course.
***for me, it seems to be Allison that is helping me most with this. I check in with her everyday. There are so many other people who give me the help and feedback that I need, it's so awesome. THANKS EVERYONE!!
--check and set your goals daily, weekly, monthly.
***if you don't have a clear vision of where you are going, how are you going to get there? so, set your goals, come up with a game plan, and check on your progress daily. Each day, then week, see if you met those goals and the same monthly. Just remember that if you don't meet your weekly goals, you need to get reexamine your game plan so that you can correct what needs correcting so that you can meet your monthly goals!
good luck to you all, thanks for reading, and keep moving!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Well, with the morning starting off like that, I had some great energy and took the dog for a walk where I was pet sitting. I hung out with the pets for awhile, then, went to my apartment and did some things around there. After getting cleaned up, I went back to feed the pets and take the dog for another walk. All of this walking has been fabulous! Of course, better results with hard core work out at the gym, but these walks this week have been so great to just start moving more again!!
At night I attended a leadership seminar. I did a fair amount a walking around, but the majority was just sitting. In listening to these great TEAM leaders, I heard some things that reminded me about my journey. IT made me really start to think about some things a little more, it was great! Here are a couple of things I picked up:
--How are you avoiding YOUR reality?
***some examples were things like watching TV, doing tons of social activities just to avoid the thing that will get you to your goal. ***
Something I thought about was that when my life seems to lack excitement, or if I am bored, instead of working out, I want to watch a DVD or something, and really, that is just avoiding things in my life. Is my life that bad?? not really, but tv, movies, social activities they take us out of whatever is dragging us down. That doesn't mean we need to stop doing them, it just means that, for me, I need to examine WHY I am trying to avoid things in my life. Then, I can see where my goals are so that I can make my actions line up with my goals.
A great quote from tonight: "the problem is the opportunity"-Dan Hawkins
Now isn't that so true!!!
--Get with a mentor. Someone who has been on your journey and has the results that you want. Then they can help you course correct so you can get back on course.
***for me, it seems to be Allison that is helping me most with this. I check in with her everyday. There are so many other people who give me the help and feedback that I need, it's so awesome. THANKS EVERYONE!!
--check and set your goals daily, weekly, monthly.
***if you don't have a clear vision of where you are going, how are you going to get there? so, set your goals, come up with a game plan, and check on your progress daily. Each day, then week, see if you met those goals and the same monthly. Just remember that if you don't meet your weekly goals, you need to get reexamine your game plan so that you can correct what needs correcting so that you can meet your monthly goals!
good luck to you all, thanks for reading, and keep moving!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Fabulous friday
After getting off of work, I headed home, got a little sleep, worked and then met my friend, Jon, for a walk. We walked about 1.75 miles. I hope that we are able to get walks in when he is home and not touring. When he is gone, hopefully his wife, Kathy, and I will be able to do some walks too! I got home and slept some more then headed to my overnight pet sitting job. Got to walk with the dog, which was about .25 miles.
I did a little online and a bit of reading. I did do something since I had the luxury of a TV with on demand. I caught up on Biggest Loser episodes. It gave me some ideas about workouts and things that I haven't done, but need to be doing to move forward. They are also doing a ton of boxing. I'm not saying that I have any desire to be a boxer or beat anyone up, but I can see how that would be a cool thing to add into my routine eventually.
It was a great day to get some activity in, wish I would have had the energy to work out more, but only sleep.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
I did a little online and a bit of reading. I did do something since I had the luxury of a TV with on demand. I caught up on Biggest Loser episodes. It gave me some ideas about workouts and things that I haven't done, but need to be doing to move forward. They are also doing a ton of boxing. I'm not saying that I have any desire to be a boxer or beat anyone up, but I can see how that would be a cool thing to add into my routine eventually.
It was a great day to get some activity in, wish I would have had the energy to work out more, but only sleep.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Friday, February 11, 2011
..yes indeed I'm walking...
What a great night of sleep!! Hope that you liked all of the quotes yesterday. Today, was very different than yesterday! I had a ton of activity!!! The sad part is that I forgot my bodybugg, so didn't track any of that activity. Oh well, I konw that I did it :) the other thing is that I didn't do great with food.
So, at my afternoon job, we went to the skateboard park again. It worked out so great!! I got more than 3 miles in, and if felt great! My speed was faster too, but only by about 1 minute or so. After work, I met some friends and we went to the track and I logged about 2.75 miles walking! I had a great time!! I then headed home to rest a bit and now I am watching the twins. They called today, and since I don't have back to back to back jobs, and I can work my few hours on Friday and then go home and sleep, I took the job. I got rest in before the job and have slept about 2 hours here, and will sleep 1-2 more before work in the morning. So, my sleep will be broken up, but I won't completely miss it like on Tuesday night.
I have yet to use the treadmill and lifecycle that I got, and I am a bit disappointed. I will be watching pets all weekend, so chances of using them this weekend are slim..I will be walking the dog or go to the gym. I have done some weeding out of stuff and it is in a huge pile in my living room until I can get rid of it. Luckily, someone on freecycle.org is taking the chair this weekend and the other things will be send where needed and I can get back to normal with my space.
Friday looks promising as does the weekend, there will be a lot of activity and I am excited about that! I will also be taking care of those "goals"/"game plan" that I talked about a couple of days ago.
Off to take another mini nap. thanks for reading, I promise the blogs are going to get much more interesting in the next few days!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
I hope that you all have a fabulous weekend!!
So, at my afternoon job, we went to the skateboard park again. It worked out so great!! I got more than 3 miles in, and if felt great! My speed was faster too, but only by about 1 minute or so. After work, I met some friends and we went to the track and I logged about 2.75 miles walking! I had a great time!! I then headed home to rest a bit and now I am watching the twins. They called today, and since I don't have back to back to back jobs, and I can work my few hours on Friday and then go home and sleep, I took the job. I got rest in before the job and have slept about 2 hours here, and will sleep 1-2 more before work in the morning. So, my sleep will be broken up, but I won't completely miss it like on Tuesday night.
I have yet to use the treadmill and lifecycle that I got, and I am a bit disappointed. I will be watching pets all weekend, so chances of using them this weekend are slim..I will be walking the dog or go to the gym. I have done some weeding out of stuff and it is in a huge pile in my living room until I can get rid of it. Luckily, someone on freecycle.org is taking the chair this weekend and the other things will be send where needed and I can get back to normal with my space.
Friday looks promising as does the weekend, there will be a lot of activity and I am excited about that! I will also be taking care of those "goals"/"game plan" that I talked about a couple of days ago.
Off to take another mini nap. thanks for reading, I promise the blogs are going to get much more interesting in the next few days!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
I hope that you all have a fabulous weekend!!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
restful sleep and some GREAT quotes
After my marathon work schedule, I'm sure you can imagine, last night I SLEPT really well!!
It was not an extraordinary day in my journey, because all I did was work, eat, take a bath(while I watched episode 3 of biggest loser on my laptop) and sleep. At my afternoon job, I did play a bit at the park with the boy I was watching, but nothing major.
Since I don't have much to post, I thought I'd just post a bunch of quotes that I have been picking up lately that I will be posting on my wall at home this weekend...They seem to help me, so thought you might enjoy them. If not, make today your masterpiece, you have control over that!!
"We are what we do repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit"-Aristotle
"Chaos and opportunity are born of the same thing"
"more people have purpose in their life when they see your example"
"What have we learned to tollerate because we are done being stuck and doing the same thing over time?" (have we gotten comfortable in our rut?)
"Awareness is the greatest agen for change"-Eckhart Tolle
"Ultimately, teh only power to which man shoulr aspire is taht which he exercises over himself"-Elle Wiesel (I think I got this from Hoss' blog)
The following come from a book I am reading by Brian P. Moran author the 12 week year) through my business, but I see that I can apply so much to this journey too!
"It's not what you know; it's not even who you know; it's what you implement that counts."
"you can't build a reputation on what you're going to do"
"the nottion that there is plenty of time in a year has a detrimental effet on performance."
"Ultimately effective execution happens daily and weekly"
"A deadline is a terrific motivator. The most active time is just before somethign is due" (I must add that unfortunately, in moving towards a healthier weight, you can't wait until the last day to do the work. It is a daily commitment)
"in a 12-week year there is clearly no time to put off or procrastinate"
"...you can increase your current results by up to 4 times or more! Not by working harder but by focusin on the activites that matter most, maintaining a sense of urgency to get those things done, and shedding low-value things that keep you stuck."
(I will add that in a journey towards a weight goal, you will have to work harder also in the gym, but if you apply this to just a healthier lifestyle, focusing on how to do that and doing itI can see huge results!)
"an aspiration or desire means little without a plan to get there"
"Take accountability for your own results--it is the only path to lasting success"
These come from the book, but are by other authors that are noted:
"Always bear in mind taht your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing"-Abraham Lincoln
"Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans"-Peter F. Drucker
"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit"-napoleon Hill
"what you do is create a vision of who you want to be, and then live into that picture as if it were already true"-Arnold Schwarzeneggar in 1976, describing how he planned to become the #1 box office star in Hollywood
If you are still reading, great, hopefully these will help to move you closer any goal you are working towards! The last quote I want to leave you with really speaks to all of us who prefer to have our "ducks in a row", "all planets alligned", however you want to say it. Really, none of that matters at all, the only things that matter are that:
"life happens in the moment"-Brian P. Moran
and what Pema Chondron said:
"Start where you are"
ADDED THURSDAY NIGHT..I FOUND IT ON MY BLOG ON THE SIDE BAR UNDER "FITNESS TIPS OF THE DAY": Surround yourself with people and things that remind you to live a healthy lifestyle.
Learning and Growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
It was not an extraordinary day in my journey, because all I did was work, eat, take a bath(while I watched episode 3 of biggest loser on my laptop) and sleep. At my afternoon job, I did play a bit at the park with the boy I was watching, but nothing major.
Since I don't have much to post, I thought I'd just post a bunch of quotes that I have been picking up lately that I will be posting on my wall at home this weekend...They seem to help me, so thought you might enjoy them. If not, make today your masterpiece, you have control over that!!
"We are what we do repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit"-Aristotle
"Chaos and opportunity are born of the same thing"
"more people have purpose in their life when they see your example"
"What have we learned to tollerate because we are done being stuck and doing the same thing over time?" (have we gotten comfortable in our rut?)
"Awareness is the greatest agen for change"-Eckhart Tolle
"Ultimately, teh only power to which man shoulr aspire is taht which he exercises over himself"-Elle Wiesel (I think I got this from Hoss' blog)
The following come from a book I am reading by Brian P. Moran author the 12 week year) through my business, but I see that I can apply so much to this journey too!
"It's not what you know; it's not even who you know; it's what you implement that counts."
"you can't build a reputation on what you're going to do"
"the nottion that there is plenty of time in a year has a detrimental effet on performance."
"Ultimately effective execution happens daily and weekly"
"A deadline is a terrific motivator. The most active time is just before somethign is due" (I must add that unfortunately, in moving towards a healthier weight, you can't wait until the last day to do the work. It is a daily commitment)
"in a 12-week year there is clearly no time to put off or procrastinate"
"...you can increase your current results by up to 4 times or more! Not by working harder but by focusin on the activites that matter most, maintaining a sense of urgency to get those things done, and shedding low-value things that keep you stuck."
(I will add that in a journey towards a weight goal, you will have to work harder also in the gym, but if you apply this to just a healthier lifestyle, focusing on how to do that and doing itI can see huge results!)
"an aspiration or desire means little without a plan to get there"
"Take accountability for your own results--it is the only path to lasting success"
These come from the book, but are by other authors that are noted:
"Always bear in mind taht your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing"-Abraham Lincoln
"Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans"-Peter F. Drucker
"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit"-napoleon Hill
"what you do is create a vision of who you want to be, and then live into that picture as if it were already true"-Arnold Schwarzeneggar in 1976, describing how he planned to become the #1 box office star in Hollywood
If you are still reading, great, hopefully these will help to move you closer any goal you are working towards! The last quote I want to leave you with really speaks to all of us who prefer to have our "ducks in a row", "all planets alligned", however you want to say it. Really, none of that matters at all, the only things that matter are that:
"life happens in the moment"-Brian P. Moran
and what Pema Chondron said:
"Start where you are"
ADDED THURSDAY NIGHT..I FOUND IT ON MY BLOG ON THE SIDE BAR UNDER "FITNESS TIPS OF THE DAY": Surround yourself with people and things that remind you to live a healthy lifestyle.
Learning and Growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
choosing me first
It is Wednesday morning, and I have a minute to let you know about my Tuesday/early morning Wednesday. Now, you might read this and think "come on, get to the point"..trust me after the chaos, I will. Thanks for reading!!
Tuesday started fairly slow. When this new schedule started, it was not easy to get up at 5:30, but I was excited about the new schedule and so I was getting out of bed easier. Now, not quite as easy. But, I got up a little later, I packed my food and headed to 8am-1pm job. Not very active EVER at this job, butI hope that in time it will be a little bit more active. I then went to my 1:15-6:15 job, which is always more active, and I love it..even if I am folding laundry or changing the sheets. Usually it is running around with the kids. Today, it was just me and Joe for most of the afternoon, and he wanted to go to the skateboard park. Whoo hoo!! While he was skateboarding, I walked 5.14K in 52min. Not record breaking, but I was in jeans, and the wrong shoes. My sister Catie says that it qualifies as a race walking pace..seemed slow to me.
Okay, so I got off of work, and realized that I was one meal short!! I soooo wanted to just go get a gluten free pizza at Amici's, but I didn't. I went to whole foods and got steamed veggies and rosemary potatoes and ate some nuts. yummy dinner!! From there, I headed to my meeting and then went home. I had to watch the twins at midnight. I was tired and wanted to sleep, but when I tried, I just started obsessing about sleeping through my alarm and being late, so I couldn't sleep. I did a few things around my apartment..laundry, straightening up, packed up clothes and food for Wednesday and then it was basically time to leave for an overnight with the twins (12am-6:30am). I hoped that they would sleep really well so that I could sleep too. They slept wonerfully!!! Unfortunately, I did not...too worried I wouldn't wake up if I heard them. That hasn't happened before, usually I can sleep. So, left work, went to jamba juice for breakfast(yes, it was planned). I was able to take about a 30 min power nap in my car. Now I am at work and the little girl is still asleep. After taking her to school at 1, I will go home and take a nap before evening job. When I get home, I have to do the dishes and prepare some food for tomorrow, but while the food is in the oven, I look forward to trying out the new lifecycle! Hopefully, my body will not be too exhausted!!
So, why did I tell you all of this?? I want to show you that I totally understand a busy schedule, putting everyone else first. I get that you have kids and have to run them around for their activities, prepare food for them and yourself, get the household chores done, go to a job, oh, and of course...find time to work out!! I get that you are tired, I am soo tired too. I am finding myself asking, "okay, so what do I need to do to change that?" Okay, don't just say "duh, go to bed earlier and get some sleep!!" I think this is a VERY commong problem. We often use these things as excuses not to exercise, right? At my TEAM meeting last night, the speaker, Jim Jones, reminded us to look at what is most important. Obviously your family, friends, finances, and faith might top your list. For me, those things are really important. However, like they say when you take an airplane, "put your oxygen mask on yourself, then assist others." As I'm sure you know, that's because you are no good to anyone if you aren't there. Focusing on my fitness will help me be there for my friends and family. It might take awhile, paying the price and not spending as much time as I would like to with my friends and family, but when I hit these fitness goals, I will be healthier and have more energy and time to spend with them.
Well, when I left the twins this morning, she asked if I could come back next Tuesday night. I told her that I would let her know. Then, I started ooking at my schedule and realized that if I want to change my life and have better overall health, then I need to choose me first. That means getting the sleep that I need, the foods I need and the activity that I need. I get those things if I am working around the clock. So, I emailed them and told them no.
What is most important to you in your life? I know that you love your kids, husband, parents..whoever more than anything!! I also know that they all want you to be around a long time. But they all know when you are not yourself, you know, when you're "off" a bit because you haven't been taking care of yourself and you are running yourself ragged and you even have a bit shorter temper at times. Your kids sense this more than anyone usually. They all want you to be the best mom, dad, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, grandma, grandpa or friend that you can be, and you can't be that if you are not willing to chose yourself first.
So, with all of that said, this is talking to me as much as it is talking to you. I am putting myself first. Finances are important, but I need to come up with a different solution than working these crazy long overnight hours.
Good luck, I'd love to hear how you are putting yourself first today!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!!
~Cindy LOu
Tuesday started fairly slow. When this new schedule started, it was not easy to get up at 5:30, but I was excited about the new schedule and so I was getting out of bed easier. Now, not quite as easy. But, I got up a little later, I packed my food and headed to 8am-1pm job. Not very active EVER at this job, butI hope that in time it will be a little bit more active. I then went to my 1:15-6:15 job, which is always more active, and I love it..even if I am folding laundry or changing the sheets. Usually it is running around with the kids. Today, it was just me and Joe for most of the afternoon, and he wanted to go to the skateboard park. Whoo hoo!! While he was skateboarding, I walked 5.14K in 52min. Not record breaking, but I was in jeans, and the wrong shoes. My sister Catie says that it qualifies as a race walking pace..seemed slow to me.
Okay, so I got off of work, and realized that I was one meal short!! I soooo wanted to just go get a gluten free pizza at Amici's, but I didn't. I went to whole foods and got steamed veggies and rosemary potatoes and ate some nuts. yummy dinner!! From there, I headed to my meeting and then went home. I had to watch the twins at midnight. I was tired and wanted to sleep, but when I tried, I just started obsessing about sleeping through my alarm and being late, so I couldn't sleep. I did a few things around my apartment..laundry, straightening up, packed up clothes and food for Wednesday and then it was basically time to leave for an overnight with the twins (12am-6:30am). I hoped that they would sleep really well so that I could sleep too. They slept wonerfully!!! Unfortunately, I did not...too worried I wouldn't wake up if I heard them. That hasn't happened before, usually I can sleep. So, left work, went to jamba juice for breakfast(yes, it was planned). I was able to take about a 30 min power nap in my car. Now I am at work and the little girl is still asleep. After taking her to school at 1, I will go home and take a nap before evening job. When I get home, I have to do the dishes and prepare some food for tomorrow, but while the food is in the oven, I look forward to trying out the new lifecycle! Hopefully, my body will not be too exhausted!!
So, why did I tell you all of this?? I want to show you that I totally understand a busy schedule, putting everyone else first. I get that you have kids and have to run them around for their activities, prepare food for them and yourself, get the household chores done, go to a job, oh, and of course...find time to work out!! I get that you are tired, I am soo tired too. I am finding myself asking, "okay, so what do I need to do to change that?" Okay, don't just say "duh, go to bed earlier and get some sleep!!" I think this is a VERY commong problem. We often use these things as excuses not to exercise, right? At my TEAM meeting last night, the speaker, Jim Jones, reminded us to look at what is most important. Obviously your family, friends, finances, and faith might top your list. For me, those things are really important. However, like they say when you take an airplane, "put your oxygen mask on yourself, then assist others." As I'm sure you know, that's because you are no good to anyone if you aren't there. Focusing on my fitness will help me be there for my friends and family. It might take awhile, paying the price and not spending as much time as I would like to with my friends and family, but when I hit these fitness goals, I will be healthier and have more energy and time to spend with them.
Well, when I left the twins this morning, she asked if I could come back next Tuesday night. I told her that I would let her know. Then, I started ooking at my schedule and realized that if I want to change my life and have better overall health, then I need to choose me first. That means getting the sleep that I need, the foods I need and the activity that I need. I get those things if I am working around the clock. So, I emailed them and told them no.
What is most important to you in your life? I know that you love your kids, husband, parents..whoever more than anything!! I also know that they all want you to be around a long time. But they all know when you are not yourself, you know, when you're "off" a bit because you haven't been taking care of yourself and you are running yourself ragged and you even have a bit shorter temper at times. Your kids sense this more than anyone usually. They all want you to be the best mom, dad, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, grandma, grandpa or friend that you can be, and you can't be that if you are not willing to chose yourself first.
So, with all of that said, this is talking to me as much as it is talking to you. I am putting myself first. Finances are important, but I need to come up with a different solution than working these crazy long overnight hours.
Good luck, I'd love to hear how you are putting yourself first today!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!!
~Cindy LOu
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
are you in control of your time, or is it in control of you?
It is Tuesday morning, and I am reflecting on yesterday...
No weigh in..scale is messed up..time for new one.
What is wrong with me? A very inactive day today at work. Also feeling tired. Not enough sleep, and in my 'text confession' to Allison, I said, "As much as I try and fight it, I just have to make myself go to bed and get my 7/8 hours of sleep in." I think I have said it before, but I will say it again, I do not like that I have to spend time sleeping, preparing food and eating. I wish that I could just take a pill to not have to do these things. However, I'm not in "La-La Land" and I am just a human, and I need to do these thigns. So, what's the reason that I don't like to do them? I have no idea. It's not like I have no time. Well, sometimes it is because I have no time, but for the most part, I have the time, I jsut want to do other things. It all comes down to my priorities. What is most important to me. What am I working towards? what will make the biggest impact in my life? is it TV?-NO, is it work-NO(though sometimes I need to do more of that than I'd like for financial reasons)...it HAS to be my health.
I decided to revisit what I posted on 1-1-11...the dear abby thing. go check it out if you need a reminder about "just for today". I think it will move me forward. A new game plan is in order, because what I am doing and thinking isn't working.
--I will be taking Allison advice and tracking my food and seeing which foods are carrying me through and for how long and I will be sending my food log to Sabra at the end of the week for her to look at.
--as silly as it sounds, I will make sure that my list of "have-to's" are done before I get to anything fun, like chilling out and watching a DVD or reading a book that is not part of my business or my health goals..things like that.
--I will write into my schedule my work out times and what exercise/activities I will be doing that day.
--I will also post here daily and start to give you stats about calorie intake/burn/deficit again to hold myself accountable so that I can see what I did and where I need to improve.----I did this in the beginning, and when I stopped, things in my body changed. why would I stop what was working?
--By Sunday, I will have photos, quotes and goals ALL posted on my wall(it only has a few on there now). Photos from the cruise and all the people who have helped me on my journey will be up there for sure!
I want to leave you with a quote that I saw on facebook today. I boy I used to do some nanny work with years ago has grown into a great young man, and he posted this(thanks, Cannon for your reminder!)--no idea who originally said it,
"A man who dares to waste one hour of his time has not discovered the value of life."
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
No weigh in..scale is messed up..time for new one.
What is wrong with me? A very inactive day today at work. Also feeling tired. Not enough sleep, and in my 'text confession' to Allison, I said, "As much as I try and fight it, I just have to make myself go to bed and get my 7/8 hours of sleep in." I think I have said it before, but I will say it again, I do not like that I have to spend time sleeping, preparing food and eating. I wish that I could just take a pill to not have to do these things. However, I'm not in "La-La Land" and I am just a human, and I need to do these thigns. So, what's the reason that I don't like to do them? I have no idea. It's not like I have no time. Well, sometimes it is because I have no time, but for the most part, I have the time, I jsut want to do other things. It all comes down to my priorities. What is most important to me. What am I working towards? what will make the biggest impact in my life? is it TV?-NO, is it work-NO(though sometimes I need to do more of that than I'd like for financial reasons)...it HAS to be my health.
I decided to revisit what I posted on 1-1-11...the dear abby thing. go check it out if you need a reminder about "just for today". I think it will move me forward. A new game plan is in order, because what I am doing and thinking isn't working.
--I will be taking Allison advice and tracking my food and seeing which foods are carrying me through and for how long and I will be sending my food log to Sabra at the end of the week for her to look at.
--as silly as it sounds, I will make sure that my list of "have-to's" are done before I get to anything fun, like chilling out and watching a DVD or reading a book that is not part of my business or my health goals..things like that.
--I will write into my schedule my work out times and what exercise/activities I will be doing that day.
--I will also post here daily and start to give you stats about calorie intake/burn/deficit again to hold myself accountable so that I can see what I did and where I need to improve.----I did this in the beginning, and when I stopped, things in my body changed. why would I stop what was working?
--By Sunday, I will have photos, quotes and goals ALL posted on my wall(it only has a few on there now). Photos from the cruise and all the people who have helped me on my journey will be up there for sure!
I want to leave you with a quote that I saw on facebook today. I boy I used to do some nanny work with years ago has grown into a great young man, and he posted this(thanks, Cannon for your reminder!)--no idea who originally said it,
"A man who dares to waste one hour of his time has not discovered the value of life."
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Monday, February 7, 2011
what does my body really need??
Started the day out after 6 hours of sleep by going on a walk with a friend. It was such a great way to start the day!! Then I headed over to Santa Cruz where I hung out with the girls that I used to nanny. My day was going so great!! I have no idea what happened from there. It is so funny how that happens. I did the stuff around my apartment that I needed to do, and I did stuff on the computer that REALLY needed to get done. I was feeling a bit tired all day. I had a bit more dairy than I usually would on Saturday, so maybe that explained it, not sure. I tried to really focus on what my body really needs. Obviously the bottom line is calories in vs calories out. Finding the time that my body needs those calories, and how to use those calories efficiently. We are all different, and like Allison was telling me, finding out what is best for MY body is what is important. So, I have been really trying to see which foods are sustaining my hunger, and how often I am feeling hungry. I know that i am drinking enough water, getting my daily vitamins and my fruits and veggies..now to conquer the protien and total calories and division of calories.
I didn't do any work out on the equipment last night..I take that back, I got on the bike, but my stomach was bothering me a lot--think that could be the dairy from yesterday too--so I stopped.
That's it for now. Oh, I have set up morning walks with friends for next Saturday and Sunday. I am so excited! I hope to set up the rest of those days with things that are active and I know I have some "HAVE TO" things on my list too.
Going to make this happen and use the encouragement and support from so many of you to help me work through these challenges.
thanks everyone!!
Learning and growing into a heathier me!
~Cindy Lou
I didn't do any work out on the equipment last night..I take that back, I got on the bike, but my stomach was bothering me a lot--think that could be the dairy from yesterday too--so I stopped.
That's it for now. Oh, I have set up morning walks with friends for next Saturday and Sunday. I am so excited! I hope to set up the rest of those days with things that are active and I know I have some "HAVE TO" things on my list too.
Going to make this happen and use the encouragement and support from so many of you to help me work through these challenges.
thanks everyone!!
Learning and growing into a heathier me!
~Cindy Lou
Sunday, February 6, 2011
new and improved..Thank you Lisa and Matt!!!
No, I didn't get some crazy plastic surgery or a make over. However, my apartment did! Like I mentioned, I picked up a Lifecycle 5500 and a Landice 17 treadmill, courtesy of a couple that I work for on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Matt and Lisa. They are updating their home gym and were getting rid of these two pieces and asked if I would like to have them. So, the remainder of this journey to my goal weight is officially dedicated to Lisa and Matt. Thank you, thank you a million times thank you, I will make you happy that you chose to give these to me!
In addition, as you can see, the blog has a new look too! I put a few things like food tip, fitness tip and motivational quote, and daily dare and a BMI calculator. We'll see if they prove worthy to stay on the blog, or if they are just clutter. I also added a couple of links! Jeanette Jenkins and Marco Borges websites. Would love to get feedback on what you think!
I got 11 hours of sleep, and woke up a bit refreshed, but very stiff from sleeping so long. I took my time getting ready, and then off to a job from 2-8. This job worked out really well, took a walk with the boy I was watching, and did a ton of dishes for the family. After I got home, just woked on the blog and did a few things here. Also trying to get some things out of my apartment on freecycle and craigslist too!
Calorie intake is a tricky thing I am trying to figure out. I have actually started to think about trying a different schedule. I used Jeanette Jenkins calorie per day calculator, and it said that I needed about 2424 calories per day to maintain my weight. That FREAKED ME OUT!!! I wrote to Jeanette to ask about what to do if I am trying to decrease my weight. Luckily I found a response to someone else that said to decrease my calories by 500/day and that would be 1 pound per week. I am still waiting to find out for sure, and need to read more in her book. she also recommends eating every 2-3 hours, so 6/7 meals a day. I have been experimenting a bit trying to figure out what might work better..this or Jillian's 4 meals a day. Results of the experiment will show up on Monday probably, but I will keep it up for a week longer too, to see what I find out--I'll let you know!
I am off to bed and excited about a walk with my new friend, Beth, in the morning!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
In addition, as you can see, the blog has a new look too! I put a few things like food tip, fitness tip and motivational quote, and daily dare and a BMI calculator. We'll see if they prove worthy to stay on the blog, or if they are just clutter. I also added a couple of links! Jeanette Jenkins and Marco Borges websites. Would love to get feedback on what you think!
I got 11 hours of sleep, and woke up a bit refreshed, but very stiff from sleeping so long. I took my time getting ready, and then off to a job from 2-8. This job worked out really well, took a walk with the boy I was watching, and did a ton of dishes for the family. After I got home, just woked on the blog and did a few things here. Also trying to get some things out of my apartment on freecycle and craigslist too!
Calorie intake is a tricky thing I am trying to figure out. I have actually started to think about trying a different schedule. I used Jeanette Jenkins calorie per day calculator, and it said that I needed about 2424 calories per day to maintain my weight. That FREAKED ME OUT!!! I wrote to Jeanette to ask about what to do if I am trying to decrease my weight. Luckily I found a response to someone else that said to decrease my calories by 500/day and that would be 1 pound per week. I am still waiting to find out for sure, and need to read more in her book. she also recommends eating every 2-3 hours, so 6/7 meals a day. I have been experimenting a bit trying to figure out what might work better..this or Jillian's 4 meals a day. Results of the experiment will show up on Monday probably, but I will keep it up for a week longer too, to see what I find out--I'll let you know!
I am off to bed and excited about a walk with my new friend, Beth, in the morning!!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
stay awake, even if it's not the best for you
Not super proud of the last two days (Thursday and Friday). Luckily, I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel!!
Here's the schedule that I worked:
6am-wake up, cook meals for the day.
8am-1pm... work
1:15-6:15-2nd... job
7:30ish...dinner, clean and rearrange apartment, shower
(friday)midnight-6:30am...3rd job (twins overnight)--about 2 hours of sleep
power nap, breakfast
9am-noon...work
----relaxing lunch with friend!!, a few errands
3:30pm-6:30..pick up my treadmill and lifecycle, visit with family that helped me move the exercise equipment
7:30--------EXHAUSTED and ready for bed
Crazy, right???? yeah, I agree. decided to watch a dvd on my laptop while I took a relaxing bath before bed. I was so tired that at my usual bath threshhold of 30 minutes, I was too tired to get out of the bath! finally about 9pm, I got an important phone call that got me out of the tub.
So as you can see, no time for the gym(except the physical labor of totally cleaning and rearranging my apartment and moving the exercise equipment), I ate fairly well, and sleep was a little messed up...okay, A LOT messed up !!! I don't have to be up until noon on Saturday, thank goodness!!!
As I sat down to eat dinner, I was looking at the equipment, adn feeling a little guilty for not workign out at that minute. I know, after those two days, no chance I could have worked out, but gets me thinking that having them here will probably make me use it more, and THAT is a good thing!! I know that I need to still go to the gym and check out classes, but maybe having them here will make it easier for me to do an extra workout each day. I was thinking that I MIGHT be able to do that morning workout thing, at least a mini one. Time will tell!
This is sort of challenging for me. I talk about learning lessons, the finances being a challenge, tips on how to overcome and let you know what I am doing to move forward and what I am struggling with. Now I need to put it all together and make up an effective game plan that has measurable results within a certain timeline.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Here's the schedule that I worked:
6am-wake up, cook meals for the day.
8am-1pm... work
1:15-6:15-2nd... job
7:30ish...dinner, clean and rearrange apartment, shower
(friday)midnight-6:30am...3rd job (twins overnight)--about 2 hours of sleep
power nap, breakfast
9am-noon...work
----relaxing lunch with friend!!, a few errands
3:30pm-6:30..pick up my treadmill and lifecycle, visit with family that helped me move the exercise equipment
7:30--------EXHAUSTED and ready for bed
Crazy, right???? yeah, I agree. decided to watch a dvd on my laptop while I took a relaxing bath before bed. I was so tired that at my usual bath threshhold of 30 minutes, I was too tired to get out of the bath! finally about 9pm, I got an important phone call that got me out of the tub.
So as you can see, no time for the gym(except the physical labor of totally cleaning and rearranging my apartment and moving the exercise equipment), I ate fairly well, and sleep was a little messed up...okay, A LOT messed up !!! I don't have to be up until noon on Saturday, thank goodness!!!
As I sat down to eat dinner, I was looking at the equipment, adn feeling a little guilty for not workign out at that minute. I know, after those two days, no chance I could have worked out, but gets me thinking that having them here will probably make me use it more, and THAT is a good thing!! I know that I need to still go to the gym and check out classes, but maybe having them here will make it easier for me to do an extra workout each day. I was thinking that I MIGHT be able to do that morning workout thing, at least a mini one. Time will tell!
This is sort of challenging for me. I talk about learning lessons, the finances being a challenge, tips on how to overcome and let you know what I am doing to move forward and what I am struggling with. Now I need to put it all together and make up an effective game plan that has measurable results within a certain timeline.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Friday, February 4, 2011
once again..the lesson is repeated until the lesson is learned
I can not believe that it has been about a week since I posted last.
Tuesday I walked 5K while one of the kids was at the skateboard park, but other than that, there has been no gym or anything. On Monday, I fell and hurt the left leg. As Alison said, "you are a mess." I totally agree, but I think that will soon change. Here is what I wrote out Thursday morning when I had a few spare moments, but not by a computer:
Not sure that I know where to begin. It has been busy, but not at the things I need to be busy at!The past week as been teaching me so much, but I only am realizing it now that I am taking time to reflect. I guess that's why it is important to meditate and reflect daily, huh?
Someone asked me, "aren't you frustrated?" I repy "about what?" them, "about going so fast and steady on your journey, then hitting a wall, gaining, just not being done yet?" My reply, "yes."
First, "gee, thanks for the uplifing conversation." haha The fact is, yes, I am very frustrated. I have been taught that someone isn't a leader if they are not frustrated because it means they have stopped trying to grow and get better. Second, my journey will never be over(done)..well, until I leave the earth, right?
So, let's look at this exchange I had with this person. Yes, i started out fast, driven and focused and accomplished a lot. I was also wasn't working 40 hours every week. I had the luxury of time, which I am so thankful for, because it helped me understand the food part quite a bit more. I want to stop gaining and hitting a wall, of course! Unfortunately, I ceary haven't learned the lessons and lifestyle properly, because they keep repeating. I think that I have said it before--the lesson is repeated until the lesson is learned.
What lesson this time??? Well, without a doubt, when I am stressed/worried about something, my reaction is to eat. It's ike a strange feeling. It's almost like when I have been on prednisone, and I am starving all day, nothing satisfies my appetite at a and I just keep eating. Last night, I just kept trying to figure out why I respond to stress that way, and I think I actually might have a good possibility why. I could be totally wrong, but atleast I'm thinking through it a bit, right?
Here's my theory. At about 9 or 10 years old, maybe earlier, I would get upsset or worried about something. i don't remember anyone asking me how I was feeling. they may have, i just really don't recall that being the case. I wasn't big at expressing my feelings, maybe because as a young child when i voiced my opinion, my dad would yell and get mad at me--yes, it was usually about food. So, suppressing my feelings, not learning how to express them or work through them much was a big challenge. I guess I just would eat something, because I knew that if i ate something that i liked, it would take my mind off of what was bothering/upsetting me. Another thought is that like so many parents, maybe my parents used food to comfort me when I was upset about something. For example, I'm screaming and crying and they want me to stop, so they say something like, "if you stop crying you can have a treat." I have no idea if that happened, but like I mentioned..these are theories. It's noone's fault and like Hoss talked abou tin his blog, the past doesn't matter, I control my own destiny in the health and fitness area, and I need to make healthy choices every day and be more "present" in my day and with each thing I am doing.
From 2-10 years old, I lived acorss the street from a great family! Over the years we have totally stayed in touch, in fact, my mom is best friends with the mom, Lee. "Uncle" Chuck and "Aunt" Lee, along with their 3 daughters, Toni, Suzi and Nancy are like family to me. Wednesday, we lost Uncle Chuck. He was surrounded by his family as he passed, and it leaves such a gap in my heart and my heart just aches for the family that he left behind.
This is the reason I started to really think about my stress eating. Last night I was thinking, "I know that I can't fix this of help this, i don't know what to do." eating...lol. I thought about my life and my parents a lot.
Uncle Chuck, I will carry you in my heart. Aunt Lee, Toni, Suzi and Nancy, I love you all!
For thursday, I will make healthier choices!!
Please think about the words you use with your children, especially when talking about food.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Tuesday I walked 5K while one of the kids was at the skateboard park, but other than that, there has been no gym or anything. On Monday, I fell and hurt the left leg. As Alison said, "you are a mess." I totally agree, but I think that will soon change. Here is what I wrote out Thursday morning when I had a few spare moments, but not by a computer:
Not sure that I know where to begin. It has been busy, but not at the things I need to be busy at!The past week as been teaching me so much, but I only am realizing it now that I am taking time to reflect. I guess that's why it is important to meditate and reflect daily, huh?
Someone asked me, "aren't you frustrated?" I repy "about what?" them, "about going so fast and steady on your journey, then hitting a wall, gaining, just not being done yet?" My reply, "yes."
First, "gee, thanks for the uplifing conversation." haha The fact is, yes, I am very frustrated. I have been taught that someone isn't a leader if they are not frustrated because it means they have stopped trying to grow and get better. Second, my journey will never be over(done)..well, until I leave the earth, right?
So, let's look at this exchange I had with this person. Yes, i started out fast, driven and focused and accomplished a lot. I was also wasn't working 40 hours every week. I had the luxury of time, which I am so thankful for, because it helped me understand the food part quite a bit more. I want to stop gaining and hitting a wall, of course! Unfortunately, I ceary haven't learned the lessons and lifestyle properly, because they keep repeating. I think that I have said it before--the lesson is repeated until the lesson is learned.
What lesson this time??? Well, without a doubt, when I am stressed/worried about something, my reaction is to eat. It's ike a strange feeling. It's almost like when I have been on prednisone, and I am starving all day, nothing satisfies my appetite at a and I just keep eating. Last night, I just kept trying to figure out why I respond to stress that way, and I think I actually might have a good possibility why. I could be totally wrong, but atleast I'm thinking through it a bit, right?
Here's my theory. At about 9 or 10 years old, maybe earlier, I would get upsset or worried about something. i don't remember anyone asking me how I was feeling. they may have, i just really don't recall that being the case. I wasn't big at expressing my feelings, maybe because as a young child when i voiced my opinion, my dad would yell and get mad at me--yes, it was usually about food. So, suppressing my feelings, not learning how to express them or work through them much was a big challenge. I guess I just would eat something, because I knew that if i ate something that i liked, it would take my mind off of what was bothering/upsetting me. Another thought is that like so many parents, maybe my parents used food to comfort me when I was upset about something. For example, I'm screaming and crying and they want me to stop, so they say something like, "if you stop crying you can have a treat." I have no idea if that happened, but like I mentioned..these are theories. It's noone's fault and like Hoss talked abou tin his blog, the past doesn't matter, I control my own destiny in the health and fitness area, and I need to make healthy choices every day and be more "present" in my day and with each thing I am doing.
From 2-10 years old, I lived acorss the street from a great family! Over the years we have totally stayed in touch, in fact, my mom is best friends with the mom, Lee. "Uncle" Chuck and "Aunt" Lee, along with their 3 daughters, Toni, Suzi and Nancy are like family to me. Wednesday, we lost Uncle Chuck. He was surrounded by his family as he passed, and it leaves such a gap in my heart and my heart just aches for the family that he left behind.
This is the reason I started to really think about my stress eating. Last night I was thinking, "I know that I can't fix this of help this, i don't know what to do." eating...lol. I thought about my life and my parents a lot.
Uncle Chuck, I will carry you in my heart. Aunt Lee, Toni, Suzi and Nancy, I love you all!
For thursday, I will make healthier choices!!
Please think about the words you use with your children, especially when talking about food.
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
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